The Best Eight Gifts for the Gym Rat in Your Life

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We tested hundreds of products earlier this year to round up the best holiday gifts currently on the market—all explicitly curated for your outdoorsy loved ones. From travel gear to tech gifts to fitness products, from $20 to $1,600, we have something for everyone. Be sure to check out the rest of our favorite picks in our 2024 Holiday Gift Guide.

At A Glance

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Camelbak Podium Steel 18-ounce Bike Bottle

$35 at Amazon $35 at Backcountry

When you’re riding in 90- or 100-degree weather, a plastic bike bottle can warm up in less than 30 minutes, even if it’s stuffed with ice. That’s why Camelbak now makes this metal bottle with double-wall vacuum insulation that will keep your loved one’s water or favorite sports drink cold during an entire two- or three-hour ride. A new, easy-chug cap will allow them to drink fast when they’re thirsty, and the bottle stays put in a bike cage.

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Suunto Race S Performance GPS Watch

$349 at REI $348 at Amazon

The Race S comes with a bright and beautiful AMOLED screen, the ability to download and use offline maps, and up to 40 hours of high-quality GPS time or up to seven days of general use with daily fitness training. All these features come in a sleek package with a comfortable fit that cinches down to snug even small wrists.

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Nike Zegama 2 Trail Running Shoe

$180 at Nike $180 at REI

Sizing: 6-15 (men’s)

A responsive and supportive, dual-foam midsole will give the long-distance runner in your life the comfort they’ll need to put in long miles. We also loved the built-in ankle gaiter that keeps out debris, and the Vibram Megagrip outsole doesn’t slip on scree and loose dirt. Nike smartly made this version of the Zegama slightly wider to allow for foot expansion on big days.

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Uvex Mtn Perform V Sunglasses

$190 at Uvex Sports $160 at Bikeinn.com

Give the gift of sight this season. Ultra-reactive photochromic lenses on these glasses go from light to dark, or vice-versa, in just a few seconds, so you can wear them any time of the day and always have the correct tint. Made for bigger heads, the large lenses and frame provide tons of coverage and an ultra-snug, no-slip fit.

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Wellen Sevens Sport Short Unlined

$78 at Huckberry

Sizing: XS-XXL (men’s)

Built from ripstop nylon that comes with four-way stretch, these shorts are durable enough for the most brutal CrossFit workouts but also flowy enough for a marathon. They come with five generous pockets, including one for your phone, and two with mesh that will drain water after a swim. Best of all, the non-pinching waistband stays comfy even after hours-long workouts.

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On Ultralight Mid Sock

$28 at On $28 at Huckberry

Sizing:5-11 (women’s) and 6.5-14 (men’s)

Who says socks are a bad gift? Call these the Goldilocks of socks—long enough to keep rocks and dirt out but not so high that they look dorky. Mesh around the midfoot vents tons of heat, and a little padding in the toe and heel adds comfort and fights blisters. The simple striping on the black version adds character to an otherwise regular old black sock.

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Nutribullet Flip Portable Blender

$100 at Nutribullet $100 at Amazon

This is the perfect gift for your friend who’s always in a rush. A rechargeable battery-powered blender blade is built into the lid of this insulated stainless steel tumbler, so all you have to do is add your ingredients, put the lid back on, blend, and then flip it back over to drink out of it. Add soap and water, blend for a minute, rinse, and this portable blender is clean again.

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Title Nine Handful Sports Bra

$62 at Title Nine

Sizing: XS-L

A gift for the active woman who wants support for low-impact workouts while looking and feeling fashionable, the Handful Sports Bra is supremely comfortable. Testers were impressed by the combination of the compressive chest band and loose cups on this bra, which provided a balance of support and flexibility.

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How We Tested Our 2024 Holiday Gift Guide

• Number of Testers: 6
• Number of Products Tested: 125
• Number of States Tested in: 7
• Tester Age Range: 30-75
• Highest Elevation Reached While Testing: 14,006 ft.

The best holiday gifts often fit in two main categories. The first category is: “A gift that makes my everyday routine that much better. “ The second goes something like: “This is a gift I’d never splurge on, so it’s amazing that I received it from someone else.” With those parameters in mind, we reached out far and wide to find gifts both big and small, expensive and affordable, and obvious and unexpected. A team of six testers put well over 100 products through their paces, and after weeks of testing and comparing, we came up with the final list.

For example, one of the products that made the cut under the “everyday routine” category was the Suunto Race S watch in our fitness category. Running tester Meg Healy loved how it was the perfect training watch that kept her motivated and updated all week long, no matter the length of her workout. Lead tester Jakob Schiller flew all over the country (Alaska, California, Seattle) with the Mystery Ranch Mission Rover 45 pack and was always impressed with how it was perfectly sized for a three-day trip, easily fit in an overhead compartment, and was comfortable to wear while schlepping through airports.

Presents that fell into the “I’d never buy this myself category” included things like Sonos Ace headphones and Howl propane campfire in the tech category. The headphones, which are as much as a car payment, seem excessive, but you understand the appeal once you hear how they truly enrich every piece of music, from John Coltrane to Taylor Swift to Cypress Hill. A $1,300 gas campfire seems absolutely ridiculous until you stand next to one on a chilly fall night and realize that this new piece of technology is actually as warm as a campfire (if not warmer) and does a great job setting the vibe after dark.

Meet Our Lead Tester

Jakob Schiller

Over the past decade as an Outside editor and then columnist, Jakob Schiller has gotten to know many UPS drivers by name thanks to the frequent stops at his house for gear drop-offs. He’s opened so many cardboard boxes he could start his own recycling facility, and his garage, as you might suspect, is a mess. But thanks to all that gear, Jakob and his family of six (plus two dogs) have been able to adventure around the world and visit many of the globe’s most beautiful spots. When he and his family are not on the road, they call Albuquerque, New Mexico home.