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30+ Wellness Gifts Guaranteed to Delight, Personally Curated by Our Extremely Picky Editors

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Forget fuzzy slippers and candles. From high-tech recovery tools to the perfect yoga mat, our editors share the wellness gifts that they actually use, love, and can’t stop recommending.

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The best gifts don’t just sit on a shelf—they get used, loved, and make you feel better in the process. That’s why our editors spent the past several months testing everything from high-tech recovery tools to sparkly water bottles and yoga mats that actually hold up. The result: a guide full of the health gear, fitness gadgets, and wellness finds we’ll be giving this year.

The Perfect Stocking Stuffer

wellness stocking stuffers
(Photo: L to R: Courtesy of Naturium, Mario Badescu, Baimei IcyMe, Dagne Dover, Onyx, Therabody; Design: Ayana Underwood/Canva)

From body scrubs and masks to insulated jars and recovery tools, here are our editors’ favorite stocking stuffers. And with options listed by product category, you’re sure to find the perfect fit for everyone on your list.

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The Kitsch Charcoal Satin Pillow Eye Mask

(Photo: Courtesy Kitsch)

After an impulse buy at the grocery store, Outside Health editor Ayana Underwood spent a full week testing this eye mask and documenting how it benefited her sleep. Consider her a sleep-mask convert—and consider this gift for anyone in your life who needs a little more R&R.

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An Air Purifying System

black filter
(Photo: Courtesy Amazon)

A good air purifying system is a must-have for a family the size of mine. We have pets and smelly sports gear and two kids with severe allergies. There are many great systems available with more than one purifier to cover more space in the home, but we prefer ionizers, like the LabCharge Ionic Air Purifier, to filter-style systems—they have a larger coverage area and don’t have to be constantly maintained. Pro tip: because of the different way they clean, regular mopping and surface cleaning are a must!

—Emilee Coblentz, packages editor, Outside

$150 at Amazon

A Classic Piece of Gear That Lasts Forever

prodcuts over snowy background
(Photo: Abigail Wise, Canva)

For our Sweat Science columnist, a pattern has recurred over his lifetime: he’s too cheap to buy the good stuff himself, only to discover that it’s totally worth it after receiving it as a gift. Here are some examples of great gear he’s trusted over the years and will happily pay retail for—and what he suggests you give as gifts for a lifetime of use.

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A Pair of Oakley Meta Vanguard Smart Glasses

Oakley Meta Vanguard smart glasses
The Oakley Meta Vanguards (Photo: Courtesy Oakley)

Outside brand director Abigail Wise loves this multitool of tech for all of her hikes, runs, rides, and everything in between. It snaps photos and videos, plays music through open-ear speakers, and helps her identify trees she encounters on the trails. She recommends it as the perfect splurge for just about anyone on your list.

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A Roll Recovery R8 Massage Tool

(Photo: Courtesy Roll Recovery)

Back in college, I bought this Iron Maiden-esque device to treat myself after a hard summer of juggling a job, an internship, and a marathon training cycle. That was nearly a decade ago, and I still use my R8 at least weekly. It started out as a bit of a party trick—Everybody gather around and try this crazy deep-tissue device!—that I became known for among my friend group. But soon, everybody started requesting it to work out knots in their calves, sore IT bands, and pumped-out forearms. The standard foam roller just doesn’t do it for me anymore.

The R8 is a one-size-relaxes-all type of device; the corrosion-resistant springs that provide the myofascial pressure adapt to different body sizes and whatever limb or muscle you’re targeting. And, you can do it while sitting, standing, and even lying down in bed; all offer the same amount of muscle-loosening relief. If you don’t like the amount of pressure that comes with the standard roller inserts, you can get SuperPlush sub-ins. Or, if you want a more intense massage, you can get the SuperDeep inserts.

I have a hard time “justifying” purchases that aren’t absolutely essential. However, I know I’ve made the right purchase because at the cost of a single spa massage, I’ve gotten years and years of muscle wellness out of the R8. And I don’t intend on stopping anytime soon.

—Emma Veidt, associate editor, Backpacker

$139 at Roll Recovery

 

A Perfectly Designed Yoga Mat

(Photo: Courtesy Jade)

Editors at Yoga Journal asked 18 yoga teachers and students of varying experience levels to ditch their usual mats for more than a month of sweating, balancing, kneeling, and sitting cross-legged. They unrolled the contenders for best yoga mats at studios, stretched on them at home, tossed them in their car trunks, lugged them along city sidewalks, and (sometimes) scrubbed them down afterward. Then they did it again and again and again. These yoga mats are the standouts and mark the best mats for literally everyone.

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A Sparkly Yeti Water Bottle

purple sparkles
(Photo: Courtesy Yeti)

After years of testing this sample size of one, research shows that I am at least 600 percent more likely to drink the recommended 12 cups of daily water if two boxes are checked: 1. It’s nice and cold. 2. I can sip it from something pretty. The 26-ounce Yeti Straw Bottle meets both of these requirements and more. Although it comes in three sizes (12, 18, and 26 ounces), the largest size is big enough that I don’t have to constantly refill it, but it isn’t too bulky to lug around or throw into a purse or pack. Its handle makes it easy to grab, and the water stays cold for hours—even all day if I’m doing a poor job on my water consumption goal. The straw top is easy to pop down and has never leaked on me. And a word of advice: sure, you could order this particular water bottle in any of the dozen-plus colors Yeti offers, but opt for “moon dust,” a glittery purple you won’t want to put down.

—Abigail Wise, brand director, Outside

$40 at Yeti

A Recovery Tool for the Hips

(Photo: Courtesy Hyperice)

After a decade of running, I decided this year would be the first of my self-care and recovery era. I started going to one of those fancy wellness centers with red light therapy, cryo chambers, and (my favorite) Normatec compression boots. The boots, which fill with air to squeeze your feet and legs—starting at the toes and working up to your quads—improve circulation and aid muscle recovery.

I looked into getting my own pair of boots to use at home and found something even better: a hips version. Since I have intermittent piriformis pain and tend to overwork my quads and hamstrings, investing in these funny-looking compression pants seemed like a no-brainer. Using them after hard workouts has helped a lot. I haven’t dealt with a piriformis flare-up or experienced debilitating DOMs even as I upped my mileage and intensity over the summer and fall. The price tag is steep, but I’ve been able to space out my trips to the physical therapist, which is a huge savings.

They make a compression device for arms and shoulders as well. If I could afford to buy these and squeeze every inch of my extremities to recover faster, I totally would.

—Ali Nolan, digital editor, Outside Run

$599 at Hyperice

A Book of Home Remedies

inside of remedy book
(Photo: Courtesy Amazon)

If I could only keep one book in my kitchen, especially through winter, it’d be Dr. Nicole Apelian’s Forgotten Home Apothecary. This kitchen Bible features 250 home remedies for everything from boosting metabolism and promoting circulation to recipes to fight viral infections and cleanse the lymphatic system. I love this book! And my kids have a grand old time looking up their ailments for in-home treatments.

—Emilee Coblentz, packages editor, Outside

$37 at Amazon

A Next-Level Pair of Running Shoes

(Photo: Courtesy Saucony)

I was never a fan of those maxed-out running shoes. I know they’re the new trend, but I’ve been a runner long enough to watch the pendulum swing wildly and know when to mind my business. (My shins are still recovering from the Great Minimalist Shoe Movement of the mid-2000s.)

But when I signed up for my first ultramarathon this year, I knew I was in for hours and hours of long, slow runs, and I thought my joints might appreciate a bit more cushion. The Saucony Triumph 23s were a revelation. I’m converted. The Triumphs are visibly plush, yet I feel stable. I can propel into each step, and my bones don’t hurt after two hours pounding the pavement. That’s all due to their PWRRUN PB foam formula that has nailed the combo of cushion and energy return. In the Triumphs, I hit new PRs for most miles run in a week and a month, and I made it to the start (and finish!) line without any injury.

Side note: You don’t need to sign up for a 50K to sport these shoes. They’re also great for casual Turkey Trots or a walk to your favorite coffee shop.

—Emma Veidt, associate editor, Backpacker

$170 for Men’s $170 for Women’s

A GPS Smartwatch

What's the best triathlon smartwatch? Our gear editor reviewed the running watches on the market for 2025 - these five were his picks
(Photo: Triathlete)

Triathlete editor-in-chief Chris Foster hands-on reviews five of the top smartwatches of 2025 and breaks them down by price, specs, and an eight-point rating system, so you can find the perfect fit for the triathlete on your list.

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A Shakti Premium Acupressure Mat

(Photo: Courtesy Shakti)

I dream of being the type of person who takes ten minutes before bed to lay on a Shakti mat, tune out the world, and relax into sleep mode. Acupressure mats are technically an alternative therapy and don’t have much rigorous science behind them, but anecdotes abound about their ability to improve sleep, reduce pain, and encourage a sense of calm. Multiple women in my online strength training group use this one from Shakti and say it’s helped their recovery after hard workouts by improving their sleep quality.

—Jessica Campbell-Salley, deputy editor, Outside

$119 at Shakti

Truly Delicious Fuel

(Photo: Courtesy Stowaway)

They say that all food tastes better in the backcountry. That might go for your standard PB and J, but as someone who has spent many backpacking trips choking down spoonfuls of cheese-masked salty slop, I can attest that some dehydrated meals are just … bad.

There’s one brand, though, that has risen to the top in terms of flavor and quality: Stowaway Gourmet. My colleagues over at Backpacker Magazine agree. After three years of sampling 150 meals from 38 brands, we recently awarded Stowaway Gourmet the title of Best Overall dehydrated meal brand. Our favorite flavors are La Pasta Nostra, Kimchi Jjigae, and Thai Curry with Shrimp. Sounds a lot tastier than that spare Easy Mac box that’s taking up space in your gear closet, right?

One side note: With prices ranging around $18 per dinner, SG’s offerings are a bit more expensive than the other dehydrated meals on the market. But, because their food’s actually edible, I don’t mind the splurge—and trust me, the lucky recipient on your list won’t either.

—Emma Veidt, associate editor, Backpacker

$18 at Stowaway

A Great-for-Everything Smartwatch

(Photo: Courtesy Suunto)

The Suunto Vertical 2 was easily my favorite smartwatch in 2025, and though it’s not cheap, you won’t find anything else in this price range that comes close. First, I love Suunto’s device and display aesthetic that feels at home in a triathlon, the gym, or even at work or post-work drinks. Unlike some other smartwatches that only fit in when you’re working out, the Suunto Vertical 2 is an all-day design.

And inside you’ll find a bevy of health and fitness functions—features that track your heart-rate variability to help identify recovery trends, sleep tracking, training readiness, and more sport tracking modes than you’ll ever need in a lifetime of activity. The Vertical 2 also has best-in-class heart-rate tracking, GPS systems, built-in offline mapping, and more battery life (up to 20 days in smartwatch mode, though closer to 10 in our tests; 60 hours of all-on GPS tracking) than most in the competitive AMOLED touchscreen category. The final perk? An incredibly useful LED flashlight mounted onto the top that’s about as bright as a smartphone light (but keeps both hands free!).

—Chris Foster, editor-in-chief, Triathlete

From $500 at Suunto

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