国产吃瓜黑料

GET MORE WITH OUTSIDE+

Enjoy 35% off GOES, your essential outdoor guide

UPGRADE TODAY

If you buy through our links, we may earn an affiliate commission. This supports our mission to get more people active and outside. Learn more

Valentine gifts
Love is in the air. Here鈥檚 what we鈥檙e really hoping for this holiday. (Photo: Jacques van Zyl/Stocksy)

We Don’t Want Flowers for Valentine’s Day

Nothing says "I love you" like getting someone a gift they'll use again and again

Published: 
Valentine gifts
(Photo: Jacques van Zyl/Stocksy)

New perk: Easily find new routes and hidden gems, upcoming running events, and more near you. Your weekly Local Running Newsletter has everything you need to lace up! .

Love is in the air. Apparently it鈥檚 in our wallets, too. According to the National Retail Federation, consumers will spend an on Valentine鈥檚 Day in 2020. We often drop听that money on fancy dinners, roses, and sweets for our significant others, but at 国产吃瓜黑料, we immediately thought of all the cool gear and experiences we could get for less听or just as much.听Here鈥檚 what our staffers really wish their partners would actually spend their money on.

Nutribullet Blender Combo ($140)

Valentine's Day Gifts
(Courtesy Nutribullet)

The only thing I鈥檓 lusting over at the moment is . Last month I completed the听Whole30听诲颈别迟with my boyfriend, during which we discovered the sheer delight of frothy, homemade Orange Juliuses and whipped paleo chocolate pudding. He scored the Nutribullet over Black Friday last year when it was on sale for a hundred bucks, and on principle, I refuse to pay full price for it! I鈥檓 secretly hoping it鈥檒l go on sale for the Valentine鈥檚 and Presidents鈥櫶鼶ay weekend, but if not, I might just have to bite the bullet. 鈥擩enny Earnest, audience development director


Thanksgiving Dinner

Valentine's Day Gifts
(Stefan Vladimirov/Unsplash)

I鈥檝e got a tradition going on nine years now that started with a couple of my old housemates: Thanksgiving on Valentine鈥檚 Day. Our tagline is:听Because there are too many Valentine鈥檚 Days and not enough Thanksgivings.听Valentine鈥檚 Day kind of sucks for everyone鈥攁 lot of single people dread it,听couples have to deal with hunting down reservations at packed restaurants and trying to engineer a romantic experience鈥攕o we ditch all that and have Thanksgiving instead. Couples, single people, families, are all invited. My favorite T-Day on V-Day was in 2013, when the invite list ballooned to 35 people, who all showed up to my two-bedroom apartment in Boulder, Colorado. People were eating on the ground, but it was so much fun. Last year, our first T-Day on V-Day in a new town, I mashed together a bunch of women who I鈥檇 met through different avenues. We all became close friends, and now that鈥檚 our friendiversary. When my best friend moved to the East Coast, she kept holding her own T-Day on V-Day there. For the same price of a fancy restaurant date and flowers, you can听get all your favorite people together for a feast instead. If that doesn鈥檛 celebrate love, I don鈥檛 know what does.听鈥擥loria Liu, features editor


Pyle Endurance Swim Headphones ($35)

Valentine gifts
(Courtesy Pyle)

I love indoor lap swimming for strength training听and asa way to zone out and exerciseregardless of the weather. After about 20 minutes, though, the quiet tranquility of the pool gets a little old.听Listening to a favorite playlist or a familiar audiobook lets me recharge without losing count of my laps.听听have听solid sound quality, are IPX8 waterproof rated, and feature听four听gigs of internal MP3听storage to load up with ear candy.听鈥擡mily Clausen, email marketing specialist


America the Beautiful National Parks Annual Pass ($80)

Valentine's Day Gifts
(U.S. Parks Pass)

If I weren鈥檛 currently free-soloing it this Valentine鈥檚听Day, I would want . For less than half of what most Americans spend on the holiday, you get one whole year of wild columbines in Rocky Mountain National Park听instead of roses,听or rock climbing in Joshua Treeinstead of a rock for your finger. Plus, the pass can be signed by both you and your climbing partner鈥攅r, significant other. How romantic! 鈥擬aren Larsen, Buyer鈥檚 Guide deputy editor


Smartwool Socks ($14 and Up)听

Valentine's Day Gifts
(Courtesy Smartwool)

These听top my Christmas wish list every year, and if I had a winter birthday, they鈥檇 be on the top of that list, too.听They are just . Comfy, warm, attractive, and durable. Just don鈥檛 put them in the dryer! 鈥擬arie Meyer, editorial assistant


Unbound Merino Wool Crew Neck T-Shirt ($65)

Valentine's Day Gifts
(Courtesy Unbound)

I鈥檓 all about practicality on Valentine鈥檚 Day. That鈥檚 why I want my wife to buy me another of these wool tees. I wear this one a few times a week as a stand-alone piece or as an undershirt, and I鈥檓 quite certain my coworkers are starting to notice. Yes, you can sport it for multiple sessions听without washing it, thanks to听antimicrobial lanolin in the wool that fights stink. 滨迟鈥檚 not quite as soft as your average cotton shirt, but you get the temperature-regulating benefits of the natural fiber; I can sweat in it on my bike commute to the office and not get cold and clammy sitting at my desk. Plus, I love the sturdy construction that I know will last for years. My wife听just has to put up with me asking her to sniff-test it every other week. So romantic! 鈥擶ill Taylor, gear director


Four Seasons Bath Robe ($199)

Valentine's Day Gifts
(Courtesy Four Seasons)

I don鈥檛 have enough money to actually buy in good conscience, but that won鈥檛 stop me for much longer. I haven鈥檛 found another model听on the market that feels like this one. It has the听perfect heft, isn鈥檛 overly soft, and the hem hits around听midcalf, so you can听lounge properly. I might just pull the trigger on this as a self-care Valentine鈥檚 Day gift.听鈥擡mily Reed, video producer


Zippo 12-Hour Hand Warmer ($22)

Valentine's Day Gifts
(Courtesy Zippo)

滨迟鈥檚 bouldering season here in New Mexico, and听days at the crag can be unforgivably cold. I鈥檝e been eyeing this to keep inside my belay parka for quick warm-ups in between climbs. Plus, it can be refilled听with lighter fluid, so I don鈥檛 have to worry about charging it at night. Because when my partner can鈥檛 keep me warm at the crag, this should do the trick.听鈥擡.R.


Girlfriend Collective Apparel ($38 and Up)听

Valentine's Day Gifts
(Courtesy Girlfriend)

I asked my partner for an activewear set from 听this Valentine鈥檚 Day. Not only is most of my workout gear made for Minnesota winters (I only recently moved to Santa Fe), but I read听awesome reviews about how inclusive the听brand is for women of all shapes听and sizes, and their models definitely reflect that. 滨迟鈥檚听also dedicated to making pieces sustainably, such as constructing its听tops and bottoms out of听recycled bottles. 鈥擬ary Mathis, digital visuals editor


SeaVees Wool Slippers ($68)

Valentine's Day Gifts
(Courtesy SeaVees)

My husband is pretty, um, frugal听when it comes to gift-giving.听Which is why, since retailers often have听sales around Valentine鈥檚 Day, I鈥檓 bound to get a lovely pair of that are half off, like these from SeeVees. I鈥檓 sure he鈥檒l point out that I can break them in during the remaining cold days but they鈥檒l still seem new when I pull them out again in November. OK, honey. I do really hate cold feet.鈥擳asha Zemke, copy editor

Popular on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online