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15 gifts you should buy to get ahead of your holiday shopping
Courtney Campbell
Reviewed.com
Published 4:40 PM EDT Sep 17, 2019
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It may only be September, but the holidays are already on my mind. Christmas, Hanukkah, and other special gift-giving events can really creep up on you—and you don’t want to be rushing around searching for the perfect gift at the last minute. Most of the time, you end up paying more or scraping the bottom of the barrel for gifts.
Call me crazy, but I’m doing my holiday gift shopping early—a.k.a. right now. As a shopping expert and deal hunter, I’ve dug through the most popular items this year that are actually worth buying now both price- and inventory-wise. Here are 20 products you can get right now, ahead of the shopping rush, so you can actually make this the most stress-free holiday season ever.
1. A weighted blanket for extra cozy nights
Weighted blankets make you feel like you’re wrapped in a giant bear hug, which is why they’re becoming one of the most popular products. When we tested some of the best weighted blankets, we found we liked snuggling up with the Gravity Blanket the most. This would be a great gift for anyone who prefers spending their winter snuggled up with a warm cup of tea.
Get the Gravity Blanket at Gravity for $199
2. The coveted Instant Pot
It wouldn’t be an early holiday shopping list if we didn’t include the legendary Instant Pot. The popularity of this electric multi-cooker has been soaring thanks to its incredible versatility and pressure cooking setting. There’s a new Instant Pot Duo Nova model, so the Duo could be phased out soon (and it’s $30 off right now!), so you might as well get one now.
Get the Instant Pot Duo 6-Quart Pressure Cooker at Amazon for $69.95
3. An air fryer for the hottest cooking trend
If your friend or family member is over the Instant Pot (or already has one) but is still obsessed with new kitchen gadgets, then they might want to get an air fryer instead, so they can make their favorite fried food a little healthier. The Philips Airfryer XXL is the best air fryer we’ve ever tested and its big enough for family-sized portions. Plus, it’s $100 off right now, making it a good time to buy one anyway.
Get the Philips Airfryer XXL at Amazon for $249.95
4. These AirPods for an elite headphone experience
Chances are, you’ve seen them in the streets, in the office, and on campus already: AirPods are seemingly everywhere right now. Not only are they trendy, but they actually perform well. In fact, they’re the best true wireless headphones we’ve ever tested. They’d make a great gift for anyone who listens to music or podcasts and you can score an extra $15 off them right now.
Get the Apple AirPods with Charging Case (Latest Model) at Amazon for $144.95
5. A relaxing essential oil diffuser
The holidays can be stressful—unless you get your holiday shopping done early. But your friends and family who didn’t plan ahead might need some extra relaxation in the form of an essential oil diffuser. This one from InnoGear is our favorite one and can run relaxing scents like lavender and eucalyptus for up to 11 hours. It’s on sale right now for under $14, so it’s a really good time to grab one too.
Get the InnoGear Upgraded 150ml Diffuser at Amazon for $13.98
6. A DNA kit to explore heritage
Although they’ve been on the market forever, DNA kits are both fun and informative. With more than 10 million users, AncestryDNA is the most popular DNA testing kit on the market, which means your giftee is more likely to pinpoint exactly where their ancestors are from and potentially connect with a long-lost relative or two. This is one hot product and it goes on sale constantly, so better to buy sooner than later.
Get the AncestryDNA Testing Kit for $99 at Ancestry
7. This smaller Echo with a screen
If you want to gift someone special a smart assistant, the Echo Show 5 might be the move. It’s a compact and more affordable version of the Show and the next level up from the Dot. Plus, its small screen makes it easy to see timers, get news updates, and make video calls. Even better, it’s $25 off right now, so you can save on this great gift.
Get the Echo Show 5 at Amazon for $64.99
8. A cult-favorite egg cooker
For whatever reason, eggs are kind of hard to make perfectly. This egg cooker from Dash does the hard work for you by soft boiling, hard boiling, scrambling, poaching—whatever you want. It solves breakfast woes and is the perfect gift for a college student or anyone who hates cooking but loves eggs.
Get the Dash Rapid Egg Cooker at Amazon for $16.99
9. A smart scale to help reach health goals
If your friend or relative is always raving about their latest diet or boutique fitness class, then they’ll definitely be interested in this smart scale. Not only does it measure weight, but it also tracks body fat, BMI, bone mass, and muscle mass, then sends the data to your phone. I’m predicting it’ll be one of the hottest products of the 2019 gift-giving season, so you might as well hop on the train early.
Get the eufy Smart Scale C1 at Amazon for $29.99
10. This Kindle for the bookworm in your life
As a book lover, I have to say, I love my Kindle. It makes it easy to carry all my books with me while traveling without taking up too much space.The Kindle Paperwhite is the best e-reader we’ve ever tested and makes an amazing gift, especially for that special bookworm in your life. Pro tip: You can get sweet Kindle book deals every Sunday, so you can start your giftee off with a mini library for cheap, too.
Get the Kindle Paperwhite at Amazon for $149.99
11. A robot vacuum to do their dirty work
Everyone hates cleaning their floors, which is why it’s so easy to appreciate a robot vacuum. The eufy RoboVac 11S is our favorite affordable robot vacuum, and it makes an unforgettable gift. With this robot vacuum, you don’t have to spend too much on a ‘bot to keep your giftee’s home tidy. We love that it’s slim enough to fit under most places, meaning it can get into every nook and cranny.
Get the eufy BoostIQ RoboVac 11S at Amazon for $219.99
12. This cozy comforter
Hear me out: A comforter makes a great gift. Most of us are still using our old one from college, and would probably appreciate one that is warmer, softer, and less smelly. This one from Buffy is an upgrade in every single way—it’s one of our favorite comforters and you can save $15 at check out with the code REVIEWED right now.
Get the Buffy Cloud Comforter at Buffy for $145
13. A streaming stick for the next binge-watching session
If your giftee takes their Netflix or Hulu or HBO subscription seriously, then they shouldn’t be streaming their favorite show from their computer. The Roku Streaming Stick+ is the best affordable streaming device we’ve ever tested. It’s fast and offers full 4K and HDR for the ultimate binge watching experience. Since it’s bound to be a big hit around the holidays, you can beat the crowd by grabbing one early right now.
Get the Roku Streaming Stick+ at Amazon for $59.98
14. The best noise-canceling headphones
Noise-canceling headphones make an incredible gift to any music lover—or for anyone who wants to drown out the world. The Sony WH-1000XM3 are the best noise-canceling headphones on the market. They have a fancy feature that lets you choose the amount of ambient noise you let in and have already garnered a devoted cult following online.
Get the Sony’s WH-1000XM3 Wireless Noise-Canceling Headphones at Amazon for $348
15. An incredible smelling candle
A candle always makes a good gift—and the Capri Blue Volcano candle is the best smelling one out there. It has a light and sweet fragrance that makes your home smell like an Anthropologie store. Plus, its container is so gorgeous that your giftee can reuse it as decor long after its done burning.
Get the Capri Blue Iridescent Jar Candle at Anthropologie for $30
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Prices were accurate at the time this article was published but may change over time.
