Valentine’s Day is coming and we have 10 gift ideas
Whether you celebrate Valentine’s Day, Galentine’s Day or Palentine’s Day (not your Pals in… Palworld), it is very nice to give them a gift. Valentine’s Day is Wednesday, February 14, and you now have some time to grab something so you don’t have to worry about last-minute gift options.
You know the tastes of your loved ones better than we ever could. Maybe you know that experiences are more important to them than physical gifts, or vice versa. At Polygon we are happy to recommend a wide range of gifts in case you have other plans. The products below are things we would like to give or receive, some of which are far beyond the scope of what we usually cover. Hopefully this list will help make your special moments together a little better.
Getting chocolate samplers in the shape of a heart is a tried and true strategy for Valentine’s Day, but there are certainly other good options. If you want to try something new or just a little more quirky, pick up one of Tony Chocolonely’s bundles. They come in samplers filled with small rods for those who just like to work with chocolate, or in a package full size bars for those who are more involved. In case you haven’t heard of this Dutch brand before, it has been making great chocolate that is ‘exploitation free’ since 2005, using fair trade ingredients harvested by workers who are paid fairly.
If you want to get personal, Tony’s Chocolonely allows it customize the packaging of a chocolate bar with the colors, text and images of your choice.
If you’re buying a gift for a fan of the awesome, yet hard to watch Talk to me, whose real star is a devil’s hand statue that can possess people, so why not give them their own hand statue? We can’t guarantee that it won’t possess you, but it will possess the room you place it in with, shall we say, interesting vibrations. Go ahead, give it a shake and then please report back to us with your findings.
In reality, this statue does more than just sit. It can support incense, or you can – I’m not kidding – use it as a smoking device.
While not the most romantic gift, a Pomodoro timer can help you maximize the one thing lovebirds need most: free time. This minimalist desk clock (or elsewhere) runs on an AA battery, comes in multiple colors and allows you to efficiently tackle the biggest challenges of your day. Whether the recipient needs to block out the full hour they support or just really focus on a quick 15 hours, this clock will keep them accountable. Once the time is up, the device can be set to ring loudly or remain muted so as not to disturb others.
Getting flowers is always an acceptable Valentine’s Day gift, but it’s not the smartest. Look, flowers die – not exactly the eternal symbol of love you might be looking for. So why not try something different with a Calamondin citrus plant? (The Amazon listing describes their flavor as half tangerine, half kumquat.) They come in a box, with fruit already on the branches; You can place them in the pot of your choice and follow the feeding instructions so that your gift produces delicious citrus fruits all year round.
Take a look around you the next time you attend a concert. You may notice that more and more people are wearing hearing protection because more and more people are getting the message that it is important. There are earplugs that block out sound that reaches dangerous decibel levels And also lets in enough sound so you can still hear what’s going on. Honestly, they’re also great for normal use, when you just prefer things to be a bit quieter. Loop earbuds are probably the most fashionable option on the market, as they come in multiple colors and fit snugly and discreetly into the cartilage of your auricle.
The worst thing about Apple’s iPads is their somewhat high cost. But if you can get around that, they make wonderful gifts regardless of whether you get them most affordable model or one of the many boarding options. Any of the current models make for fantastic displays for reading comics, manga and graphic novels. And not to forget the other options, the higher segment iPad Air And iPad Pro that have the M1 or M2 chips can handle console ports of games like the Resident Evil 4 recreate and Death Stranding Director’s Cut.
Here in the US, the selection of great Pokémon merchandise available to us is just a drop in the bucket compared to what’s readily available in Japan. However, Build-a-Bear’s catalog of Pokémon plushies deserves a shoutout. Many of today’s Pokémon plushies have cute jackets, which should give them a unique look from the other merchandise your recipient may already own. Which one to buy, you know your loved one best!
Bookshelves can be a work of art: not only the shelves, but also the books on them. Perhaps your loved one arranges titles by color, by design, or simply by lumping their favorites together in no particular order. If you’re looking for a clever gift, Ideal Bookshelf can turn your bookshelf into a real work of art. If you tell us your favorite books and your ideal setup, artist Jane Mount and their team will paint and send you a poster (you can also have it framed) to hang in your space to remember the works that make your recipient so special person they are.
It’s easy to gift AirPods to a loved one. But if they are a gift for a gamer who plays on consoles and PC, you can do better. Although there is no perfect option yet, the Sony Inzone earbuds are a solid choice. They can connect to all kinds of devices with the included USB-C transmitter, including most phones and tablets, as well as the Steam Deck, PS5 and Nintendo Switch.
In case you haven’t heard, disco balls are out and star projectors are in. This accessory can transform parts of your ceiling into a colorful (very unrealistic, but still cool) starscape, which you can use to unwind, or as the set dressing for a wild night of karaoke. This may be something you only use a few times, but it can also become a relaxing tradition. I mean, if the product photos of this projector are a reliable indication of the fun it can bring to a party, then you’re in for a good time.