Gift ideas for Christmas 2021: tech and more for her and him

Christmas somehow surprises us every year. On the third Sunday of Advent 2021, you still had almost two weeks for the missing gifts. I put together gift ideas from the tech world, but not only. The prices are Amazon prices from December 2021 and may have changed. The links in the video description are affiliate links.

Smartwatches

Christmas is a good occasion to give nice little tech gadgets, especially when they look this good.

Watch	Price (December 2021)
Garmin Lily	€163.99
Apple Watch SE (40 mm, GPS only)	€292.25
Galaxy Watch 4	€269
Amazfit GTS	€129.99

Garmin Lily: A fashionable little smartwatch with fitness tracking and a real touch display. You can receive notifications, and the battery lasts up to five days. The case is quite small at 34 mm, and the watch looks like a normal watch. I really like the elegant color, and for me it is an absolute buy recommendation. It is a gift for someone you really care about.

Apple Watch SE: I own it myself in 40 mm, GPS only, and I am totally happy with it. It has all or almost all of the features of the newer models and looks relatively slim. It does not have to be the latest Apple Watch. Fitness+ recently became available in Germany as well, which makes the watch even more worthwhile. The interplay with the iPhone works absolutely smoothly. The shortcoming is battery life, on all Apple Watches: after a normal day you have to charge it, and with luck you make it through the night.

Galaxy Watch 4: I always use it when I am using an Android device. I bought it right at market launch, in this gold tone. It is very flat, has a round case and looks more like a watch than the Apple Watch. You can swap the straps, and the range of functions is very large. I only have the Bluetooth version because I always have my smartphone with me. An absolute buy recommendation. I have made several more videos about the Galaxy Watch 4.

Amazfit GTS: Also a real smartwatch, with a golden glossy frame, water resistant, with GPS, step counter, many sports modes and sleep tracking. I have not ordered it myself yet, but I want to. It strongly resembles the Apple Watch, and the features are interesting. It is also available in silver and a baby blue and may be an alternative to the Apple Watch.

Cosmetics and care

For friends or acquaintances who are not that into tech, I have a few ideas without tech.

• Eyelash curler: I love gold and rose gold, and this curler with black details looks classy. As a main gift on a small budget or as an add-on. If the rubber part on the recipient’s curler already looks worn, she will surely be happy.
• Alessandro Strip-Lac Starter Kit for €61.95: A nail polish that requires a UV lamp. It lasts two to three weeks and is simply peeled off. I have been using it for years and now only do my nails every two to three weeks instead of every other day. The starter kit includes everything you need, from the lamp to the polishes to the cleaning pads. It is a game changer. A single visit to a nail salon probably costs €40 to €50.
• Peel-off foot mask for €14.95: You pull socks over your feet. After five to seven days the hard skin comes off on its own, and you have soft feet. As a man I would not necessarily give it to my partner, but to female friends, yes.
• Rituals gift set for €29.90: With salt scrub, shower gel, body lotion and hand soap. The products are high quality and smell great. The set is also available at Douglas in case it does not arrive in time from Amazon.

Jewelry from VidaLuminosa

Ad: On Etsy I came across the shop VidaLuminosa. The jewelry is handmade by Jacqueline. I wear it myself in my videos: a necklace I keep on day and night, and a bracelet I do not take off in the shower. There are also matching rings and earrings in different colors.

Tech gadgets

• Golden charging cable: Just a little something, but I would be very happy about it. At 1.8 m it costs €18, at 3 m €20.90. It is also available in other colors, but I think gold is the prettiest.
• Multi-adapter keychain: I have it myself, in gold of course. The magnetic keychain has a six-way adapter with USB, USB-C, Micro-USB and Lightning. That way you always have the right cable with you. It costs just under €20.
• Xiaomi photo printer: A portable color photo printer, small and handy. Most devices this size only print in black and white. Handy for family celebrations, for example, where you print photos right away and hand them out. I find that more personal than WhatsApp. An absolute buy recommendation.

Headphones

• Galaxy Buds 2: I wear Bluetooth headphones almost all the time, at my home office, during sports, on walks and for phone calls. The sound quality is gigantic, on the level of the AirPods Pro. The noise cancellation also works excellently, even on a plane or by the road. A clear buy recommendation.
• Technics AZ40 for €149: Premium in-ear headphones that can also be paired with Android and iOS. A video with a hands-on review is coming soon. I like the classy color, a light rose gold, and the sound quality. A lot can be adjusted in the Technics app, such as treble and bass. During calls the background can also be blocked out so that only my conversation partner hears me. There is also noise cancellation. The headphones come in black and silver.
• Huawei FreeBuds Lipstick for €229: My gift highlight for women or brave men. The case looks like a lipstick, and the red earbuds can be hung into your ears from it. I find the idea absolutely brilliant. They are not exactly cheap, and maybe they will get cheaper at some point. I cannot say anything about the sound quality, as I have not tried them myself yet.

Verdict

Those were my gift ideas for Christmas 2021. Whether smartwatch, headphones, small tech item, cosmetics or jewelry: everything I presented is something I would like to have myself or would give as a gift. Prices and offers apply to December 2021.