25 best fitness gifts for fitness fans, gym rats and cyclists for Christmas 2023
Go from festive fatigue to gingerbread abs with these sweaty presents
Looking for the best fitness gifts for Christmas 2023? We don’t blame you. Between Yule logs, mince pies and generous helpings of gingerbread, you need a personal trainer just to plan your way though the December menu. Lost your form during all the festive feasting? Put down that plate of leftovers and add these Christmas gifts to your fitness regime.
Whether you’re a saddle addict or a gym junkie, the best fitness gift suggestions below will suit sweaters of every discipline. From activity trackers to sports shoes, all of it will bolster your New Year’s resolve.
Stick some on your wish list, leap off the couch come Boxing Day and you’ll be back to your best by February – just in time for pancake day.
Our pick of the best fitness gifts for Christmas 2023
Finisterre Furlong Merino Jumper
Merino wool has long been touted as the perfect material for keeping one warm while remaining breathable, which is why this 100% pure mid-weight merino wool jumper from Finisterre is one of the best bits of gear to don while you’re out hiking in the wilderness. Delightfully soft with a casual, comfortable fit, its ribbed detailing and choice of two fetching colours make it as fashionable as it is practical.
Beats Studio Buds +
Available in a range of finishes (we’re rather partial to the retro translucent model ourselves), the Studio Buds + serve up punchy sound in a compact, sweat-resistant package that makes them ideal for non-intrusive gym listening. Active noise cancellation helps block out the crash of weights and awful chart music, while nine hours of use per single charge should be more than enough for all but the most sadistic of ultrarunners.
Garmin Venu 3
The Venu 3’s 14-day battery life is a godsend for those who are tired of charging various bits of tech daily. In addition to the usual health and fitness tracking smarts you’d expect, it manages to stand out from the crowd with a couple of unique features too. These include the ability to detect and track naps, and a dedicated mode designed to track pushes while offering built-in workouts for wheelchair users.
Liforme Majestic Carpet Yoga Mat
This Majestic Carpet mat’s natural rubber base and eco-polyurethane top surface promise to provide a “warrior-like” grip to help prevent any accidental slip-ups during even the most advanced contortions and sweaty conditions. The eco-friendly ink-printed pattern is also useful for beginners and veterans alike, letting users better position themselves to improve balance and prevent injuries. Namaste.
Abus Gamechanger 2.0 Road Cycling Helmet
Raising the bar for aerodynamic performance and ventilation, the aptly named Gamechanger’s upper Aeroblade section improves airflow to help keep your noggin cool, while new eyebrow vents channel air directly towards your scalp. The end result sees cool air flow through the front, while hot air is vented out the back, for a more comfortable cycle in baking conditions.
Philips Sleep Headphones
Proudly proclaimed as the world’s thinnest earbuds (refined through thousands of nights of testing, no less), this joint venture between Philips and Kokoon is designed for all-night comfort, even for side sleepers. Overnight, white noise is introduced to mask out pesky sounds like snoring, though you can opt for your own tunes or additional soundscapes for a more soothing experience. It’ll track sleep quality too, making it ideal for those who tend to charge their smartwatch every night.
Withings Body Smart Scales
Withings’ Body Smart hopes to win you over with its array of tech-packed features, including body composition results, health insights, and standing heart rate measurements. It can even share the daily weather forecast when you step on it blurry-eyed and groggy each morning, while a nutrition tracking feature lets you manage your daily calorie intake, motivating you to keep a safe distance from the pain au chocolat section.
Dryrobe Lite
Dryobes are widely regarded to be the best post-water wrap-up option available, coming to the aid of surfers, wild swimmers and outdoor adventurers around the globe, keeping them warm and dry in humbling conditions. This new Lite version is far more portable than its full-fat sibling, able to pack down into a stuff-sack just 15in in length. Offering protection from wind and water while remaining breathable, it should happily fend off those shivers while the coffee’s brewing.
Arc’teryx Alpha Jacket
The Alpha is a versatile, lightweight jacket for those who actively enjoy battling the elements with a wild grin on their face and a spring in their step. A three-layer Gore-Tex construction provides complete weather protection, while Hadron face fabric zones increase breathability. With reinforced areas for added protection, it’ll handle everything nature throws at it — even if the wearer can’t.
Fitness Genes DNA Analysis Kit
Those who want to dive deeper than curls, squats, and runs might enjoy the wealth of extra information that Fitness Genes’ comprehensive DNA test provides. With over 150 reports relating to key areas such as weight loss, muscle building, endurance, hormone health, and more, it’s a valuable blueprint with access to genetic workout plans and personalised recommendations for maximum gain. One of the best fitness gifts for those who want to arm themselves with the best possible chance of reaching their full potential.
Coros Heart Rate Monitor
Designed to be more comfortable and simpler to wear than a chest strap, this arm-worn heart rate monitor packs in Coros’ latest multi-channel optical sensor for precise measurements. It can connect up to three devices simultaneously, with up to 38 hours of use per charge, and automatically turns itself on and off when it’s worn or removed.
Ultrahuman Ring AIR
A sleek and comfortable smart ring that tracks your movements, sleep, temperature, and recovery, the Air is a more minimalist alternative to traditional wrist-worn wearables, with an impressive six days of battery life to boot. Weighing just 2.4g and measuring in at 2.4mm thick, it’s about as ultra minimalist as a fitness tracker can get.
UYN Urban Trail Circular shoes
The Circular’s sole is inspired by the hoof of one of nature’s greatest trail runners, the ibex. With a two-piece forefoot and closed hoof heel (split between hard and soft rubber), runners can sprint through and clamber over obstacles with confidence. With a merino wool/ultra-elastic waterproof-yet-breathable upper, it’ll fend off the worst of the mud, while a Powerail lacing system ensures an even fit.
Fitbit Inspire 3
Tension can skyrocket with relations in town. Need help handling festive stress? You could hire a therapy elf. Or for a soothing assistant that raises fewer ethical questions, you could try Fitbit’s tracking band. Besides heart rate, activity and sleep data, it can monitor your calmness and guide you through breathing exercises. So you can exhale your way through Boxing Day meltdowns. Plus its 10-day battery life eliminates empty-cell anxiety.
Therabody TheraCup
Not a container for your takeaway spiced latte, this compact cup offers caffeine-free relief for your aching muscles. Like the therapy ordered by Olympic athletes, the TheraCup deploys a combination of suction, vibration and heat to soothe your sore bits. The cupping concept is pretty simple: by pumping on targeted areas, it’s meant to stimulate blood flow, relieve tired tissue and speed up recovery. But unlike a full physio setup, it can fit in your gym bag for treatments to go. It’s also good for up to 120 minutes per charge and doesn’t require a professional to push the buttons.
Soundcore Sport X10
At 152 beats per minute, Chuck Berry’s Run Run Rudolph is an excellent choice to soundtrack your Christmas sprints. For festive motivation, add it your playlist then add these earbuds to your wishlist: fully waterproof and tuned for extra bass, they’re made to move you in all weathers. Ear hooks also rotate out and flex to fit your ear, for a secure setup even when Randolph ain’t too far behind.
Bookman Monocle
Monocles might sharpen your squint, but you need more than an eyeglass for winter visibility. Keen to see and be seen? Swap a lens for lumens with this rechargeable running headlamp. Its lightweight build means bounce-free bounding, while stepless adjustment lets you target the beam to suit your stride. Boosted via Micro USB, it runs for a marathon 10 hours, while IPX4 water resistance ensures it’s fit for inclement intervals.
Peloton Guide
Home workouts can fight festive flab, but wobbling about on Wii Fit won’t burn off your mince pie carb loading. Upgrade your living room drills with Peloton’s digital PT. A training camera that sits atop your TV, it uses AI to track your form, count your reps and map which muscle groups you’ve used. Select a session and you’ll see yourself on-screen alongside the instructor, rather than a big-headed Mii.
Garmin HRM-Pro Plus
If the thought of heart rate data gets your pulse racing, Garmin’s HRM-Pro Plus will thrill your blood bump. Brill at measuring beats per minute, the streamlined strap transmits real-time readouts via Bluetooth or ANT+, so you can accurately track your ticker on a smartwatch, phone or compatible piece of gym kit. Leaving the tech behind? It can also serve as a standalone tracker, logging the data for syncing later.
Lazer Vento Kineticore
Winter cycling is not for the timid. Besides frosty headwinds whipping through your lycra, there’s the risk of icy asphalt at every bend. Layer up against frozen falls with Lazer’s lightweight lid. Inspired by the crumple zones in your car, its KinetiCore structure is designed to deform in a collision, absorbing impact energy instead of your cranium. Its sprint-optimised aero profile should also keep arctic gusts from arresting your pace.
Eufy Smart Scale P2 Pro
It takes bravery to step on the scales after a month of Christmas munching. If you’re ready to face the weigh-in, you might as well go the whole hog: this connected balance conducts a complete body composition analysis across 16 metrics, measuring everything from heart rate to body mass. It then maps the results on a 3D model in the smartphone app, leaving nowhere for your seasonal excess to hide.
Shokz OpenRun Pro
Running laps in Lapland? Beats can boost you to sprint through the chill. Trouble is, traditional earbuds also block out the sound of approaching sleigh bells. These open-ear alternatives use bone conduction tech to deliver up to 10 hours of tunes, without muting the winter world around you. IP55 water resistance means snow showers shouldn’t pose a problem, while bass enhancers promise punch to push you to the Finnish line.
Polar Pacer
True minimalists would run in the buff, but that tactic also strips you of stats. If you’re willing to wear one thing, Polar’s pared-back tracker logs data without distracting. Simplified by design, it sticks to the essentials: heart rate, GPS and the metrics you need to hit PB pace. Featherweight at 40g, its five-button interface is foolproof on the fly, while seven-day battery shouldn’t leave you out in the cold.
Corkyogis Classic
A strong core is the foundation for full-body fitness, but a slippery mat will soon see you sprawled on the floor. Stretch on sustainable cork for a more positive practice: naturally breathable and anti-microbial, the cork top gets gripper as you sweat, while the recycled rubber bottom keeps things cushioned. And for added karma, 10% of profits support a human trafficking charity.
Beeline Velo 2
Far from home and lost in a blizzard, you’ll regret your call to navigate celestially. For wayfinding that won’t leave you looking to the heavens, attach this directional disc to your handlebars. A streamlined design puts route info front and centre, with up to 11 hours of turn-by-turn instructions showing which way to steer your steed. Plan routes via the Beeline app, or sync with Strava to take on segments.
Specialized x Fjallraven Frame Bag
- Buy the Specialized x Fjallraven Frame Bag here (from £70)
- Buy the Specialized x Fjallraven Frame Bag here (from $80)
Santa’s sack capacity puts panniers to shame. Travelling with a lighter load? This functional frame bag is ideal for stashing cycling essentials. Weather-resistant and lined with recycled nylon, it’s part of a wider collaboration between bike nuts Specialized and bag nuts Fjällräven. Shipped in three sizes and attached by seven velcro straps, keep your presents petite and you might find it can fit a few for your Yuletide delivery rounds.
Esat Dedezade
Contributor With contributions from
