Aku Ball
$40 • Akuspike • Get Yours Now
The Aku Ball might look like a medieval torture device, but it is one of our favorite gift items this holiday season. This 2.5” ball is covered with over 650 metal spikes made of silver, zinc, copper, iron, and nickel. These spikes are more than just a basic acupressure tool. The metals help bring a natural warming effect on the body that promotes healing and relaxation. When we tried the ball, we used it in three main ways. First, after a long day of typing, rolling this ball on our palms and wrists, helped ease fatigue and soreness. It was also great after a long gaming session. Our second favorite way to use the Aku Ball was on our feet. After a long day of standing, feeling the little spikes press into our heels and the arch of our feet melted away hours of tension. Finally, we loved using the little ball to roll out some small knots in our neck, though the roller is great at that too. If you are interested in acupressure, know anyone who has sore feet or wrists, or anyone who suffers from carpal tunnel, this is an excellent gift. Then again, it might be one of the best things that you get for yourself, After all, it’s not like the holidays ever bring extra stress to your life, right?
Gravity Blanket
$189.00 • Gravity Blanket • Get Yours Now
In a year like 2020, with generalized anxiety disorder being pretty much the status quo for humanity, the gravity blanket is a godsend. We didn’t understand the value of a weighted blanket until we got under one. Whoah, we weren’t expecting that. The slight pressure the blanket even lays over your whole body has an amazingly calming effect. You don’t feel like you are being crushed, but just warmly hugged. We don’t understand all of the science here, but we can totally attest to the fact that it lowers stress and makes for a much more restful night of sleep. We can understand why these blankets have become such an important part of life for people with anxiety disorders or people on the autism spectrum. With that said, every single person we had climb under the blanket did not want to come back out.
Cleanpod UVC Sterilizer Wand
$90.00 • Monos • Get Yours Now
If there’s one thing we’ve all become very cognizant of this year, it’s germs and how to kill them. For a lot of people, gallons of purell is the answer, but sometimes, it’s better to shine a light on the problem. The Cleanpod UVC Sterilizer Wand from Monos is one of the best, most convenient sterilizing tools you can have. It fits in a handbag or in your car, It recharges quickly and easily via USB, and it can sanitize nearly any surface in just 30-seconds. We’re talking phones, keyboards, shopping cart handles, anything you can think of, it can sanitize it. We loved how quickly this wand charged and how easy it was to use. Just remember, Do NOT look at the light. We love this gift for anyone who wants to have that little something extra in their arsenal to make sure that they are sanitizing any surface they want, without all the chemicals.
CrazyCap UV-C Sterilization Bottle
$69.00 •TheCrazyCap • Get Yours Now
There’s so much emphasis lately on sterilizing surfaces that we sometimes forget that the things we put in our bodies can sometimes be filled with bacteria and viruses, especially when it comes to water. The CrazyCap is one of those great items that not only works for EDC (Every Day Carry), but could be a lifesaver in a survival situation. In just 60 seconds it can sterilize 17 ounces of questionable water, or it can clean out water that you know has microorganisms in it, like Pond water, in two minutes. This little bottle lasts too. It can be used up to 500k times before it needs to be replaced. It’s easy to recharge, it doesn’t use any mercury in the sterilization unit, and the bottle actually looks pretty great. This is perfect if you are a camper, a survivalist, or just someone who wants to make sure they water they are drinking isn’t full of bacteria and viruses.
LED Matrix Face Mask
$65.00 • Lumen Couture • Get Yours Now
We have loved everything that we’ve tested from Lumen Couture, but We think that their LED Matrix Face Mask might be our favorite. It’s a fully-programmable face mask that you can program to say whatever you like whether it is Happy Holidays or 6 Feet Please! You can also use it as an equalizer for both speech and music, or display any number of gifs, animations, or custom creations that you can easily design with its app. This mask gives you a chance to use all the real estate that used to be taken up with your smile, and now you can use it to let your personality and spirit shine through. Also, this isn’t just a fashion accessory. The mask has a slot for N95 filters, and the electronics slide right out so that you can wash the mask. This mask is probably the most ingenious fashion accessory of the COVID-19 era!
Aku Roller
$80 • Akuspike • Get Yours Now
As much as the Aku Ball is great for bringing relief to sore or tired hands, feet, and wrists, the roller has found its way into our hearts and into much larger muscle groups. The 570 silver, zinc, copper, iron, and nickel spikes feel amazing on the shoulders and neck. With just 3-5 minutes of rolling, we are able to melt away a lot of the day’s stress. Everyone who tried it felt looser and more relaxed. For us, the real magic of the roller is what happened when we had a woman with chronic cramping in her legs and feet try it. Using the roller gently on her calves, she was able to knock out most big cramping episodes before they ever became a crisis. We actually had some similar results on a charlie horse. The Aku Roller is a great accessory for daily life. It helps get the knots out. It helps lower inflammation and just helps you relax. This is the kind of gift that you’ll give someone and they’ll never put it away. In the world we’re currently living in, you are always going to need the relief that the Aku Roller brings.
T3 Lucea ID Flat Iron
$235.00 • T3 Micro • Get Yours Now
I’ve been using flat irons since around 2003 so, when I got the chance to review the T3 Lucea ID I jumped at the chance. This flat iron is pleasing to the eyes at a soft white and rose gold with no buttons to mar the surface. Actually, finding the on button was the only issue I had, one that was quickly resolved by reading the manual. From there, you input your hair texture (fine, medium, coarse), your hair length (short, medium, long) and if your hair is color treated or not. Then you press a button to confirm and wait for your iron to heat up. This ensures that the Lucea ID heats up to the perfect temperature for your hair type and texture to reduce damage, something my medium length, fine, highlighted hair needs. Once fully heated, it is a breeze to straighten hair. A few swipes on each section and I was left with silky, super smooth, straight hair. My husband remarked that it looked like I had just come back from a fancy salon. Of all the flat irons I‘ve used in the past 17 years, this one is by far the easiest, fastest, and prettiest I have ever had the pleasure of using. I give it an 11/10 would definitely use again.
Upright Go 2
$99.95 • Upright • Get Yours Now
Posture is not just important to your health, it makes a huge difference in how people look at you. Good posture tells people you are confident. It makes you feel more trustworthy and authoritative. Slouching makes you look like you are trying to hide from the world. Working at a computer all day, we all slouch more than we should and that’s why we loved the Upright Go 2 one of the best self-improvement gifts of the year. It’s simple to use. You just set up the app, pair it with the device and either stick it to your back with the included adhesive strips, or attach it to the necklace which you can get for $19.99 extra (we prefer the necklace). After that, it takes 3 seconds to calibrate the app and all you have to do is not slouch. Every day, the app will give you an increasing goal of good posture time (uptime). After a couple of weeks, you are standing up straight all the time and not even noticing it. If you slouch for more than 15 seconds, you’ll get a gentle vibration telling you to straighten out. This is a great gift for yourself or anyone you know who needs to stand up a little taller.
Love Sync
$62.99 • Lovesync • Get Yours Now
Intimate time can be a tricky subject with some couples, especially when you go from only seeing each other after work to a new world where you are now both working from home together. It’s easy to get your signals crossed, and that can definitely screw things up in the bedroom. For people having this kind of problem, or just couples who are looking for a new way to communicate, there’s the LoveSync Button set. Each partner puts a button on their side of the bed. When they are feeling frisky, they tap the button. The number of taps sets your window of intimacy for any amount of time from fifteen minutes to 24 hours. If at any time during that window, your partner taps their button to let you know they are up to get down, both of your buttons will light up green. If your partner doesn’t push the button, neither of the buttons will light up. It’s a unique new way for couples to communicate their intimacy.
Element+ Non-electric dual temperature bidet attachment
$81.75 • OMIGO • Get Yours Now
Europe and Japan have been right all along. The best way to go is with a Bidet. It’s a lesson that a lot of Americans learned this year as toilet paper became scarce, but it has turned millions of people into converts. Bidets are not only a better, and more sanitary, way to clean your nethers than toilet paper, but it’s a lot better for the environment because you aren’t flushing wads of paper down the drain. The first bidet that we wanted to show you in this year’s guide is an excellent entry-level bidet. It hooks up in just a couple of minutes, doesn’t require any electricity, and will change the way you go to the bathroom the first time you use it. What we loved about the Element + was that it gives you self-cleaning front and back sprays, and it lets you decide how involved you want it to be. Within just a couple of minutes, you will be hooked up with clean, ambient temperature water. It’s easy to control and there’s really no learning curve. From there, you can take things up a level and connect it to your sink’s hot water line. You don’t need to do this, but it’s something you might want to consider if you live in a colder climate. After all, ambient water temp is a pretty relative term when it’s 20 below zero outside. If you are looking for a toe into the door of bidets and want one that you can hook up without a hassle. Consider the Element _ from OMIGO to be your gateway drug to a new way of staying clean.
OMIGO Luxury Bidet Toilet Seat
$486.75 • OMIGO • Get Yours Now
If the Element+ is the perfect entry into the world of bidets, the Omigo is about as good as it gets unless you want to buy one of those $10,000 Japanese robot toilets. While the Element+ uses ambient temperature water and doesn’t use any electricity, the OMIGO is one of the most advanced pieces of equipment you can own. This unassuming toilet seat is the best bidet you can get for the money. Along with the separate, self-cleaning front and rear washes that you can get on the element, this model gives you perfectly warmed water, an adjustable heated seat, 3 different water pressures, 7 nozzle positions built-in night light, wireless remote control with magnetic docking, an oscillating massage from the nozzle (our favorite feature), and a built-in warm-air dryer. Bidets aren’t the wave of the future, America is just behind the curve on discovering how awesome they are. Now they are here to stay and they will keep you a cleaner, make you happier, and help you take better care of the planet. If you want the best bang for your buck when it comes to cleaning your undercarriage, you can’t go wrong with the OMIGO.
DARA BMI Smart Scale
$71.96 • Fit Track • Get Yours Now
The pandemic has given people a good chance to look at themselves and the changes they want to make to live a healthier life. If you know anyone who is living better or wants to, the DARA scale could be just what the doctor ordered. This isn’t just a scale. Well, it is a scale, but it measures so much more than just your weight. Along with the lbs, it also measures BMI, visceral fat, muscle mass, hydration level, bone mass, BMR, body fat %, protein %, body age, body fat, weight control, standard weight, how much you’d weigh without fat, how much just the muscles in your body weigh, how much protein is in your body, and your degree of obesity. Yeah. it really measures all of that, and it does it accurately. The great thing is that this knowledge is power. By hooking the scale up to Fit Track’s app, you can track all of these metrics and put them to work so that you can hit your fitness goals. There are a lot of smart scales on the market, but this feels like more of a brilliant scale. We’ve never tested a scale that tells us so much and gives us what we need to put it to work.
Smart Rope Rookie
$39.95 • Tangram • Get Yours Now
When you live in a world where there’s always bad news, the gyms are closed, and a lot of our favorite places are closed, it’s important to find ways to exercise. So, while some years it might seem weird to get people exercise equipment as a holiday gift, this year it’s one of the more thoughtful things you can do. If you know someone who is just getting started on their exercise journey, a light jump rope is a great tool. You can use it pretty much anywhere, it doesn’t require a ton of coordination, and it’s actually pretty fun. If you want to go one step more, get them the Smart Rope Rookie. What makes this rope so different? Well, like most things in life now, it connects to an app. As you skip rope, the app will track everything you need for you. How many jumps, your calorie burn, your history. It even lets you compete against the community of jump ropers so you can set bigger goals for yourself as you go up against a community. Exercise is something we need to do, but most of us don’t do enough. If you can make it a little more fun, and you can track it so you can see what you are getting out of it, you are not only more likely to do it, but you are more likely to enjoy it.
Aku Mat
$110 • Akuspike • Get Yours Now
The bed of nails concept isn’t anything new. In fact, plastic versions have become popular over the last few years. We know, we’ve got them. There’s no comparing them to the Aku Mat. This mat means business, and it does pretty amazing things. It sports an impressive 2,710 silver, zinc, copper, iron, and nickel spikes that have helped us relieve plantar fasciitis as well as some sciatica pain, melt stress in our lower and upper backs, and even helped us sleep better. There’s something about the conductivity of the metals in the spikes. They create warmth and they elicit a release of endorphins in your body. Don’t get us wrong, this mat isn’t just something you jump on. When you lay on it for the first several times, we suggest wearing a light t-shirt, so that you can adjust the intensity of a real bed of nails acupressure experience. The same goes for using the mat for your feet. Don’t just step onto it. Stand next to it and place one foot on it for a few seconds. Get used to it and work your way up. We love the Aku Mat. Heck, we loved all of the Aku products. It can be easy to look at them and be a little intimidated, but they are worth it. All of them are amazingly high-quality products that deliver and will last you for years.