Outdoor and camping brand REI, an NBC News Shopping reader favorite, has dedicated a portion of its site to gifts: The REI Holiday Gift Guide. From affordable gifts and nifty ones to gifts for specific uses and activities, there are thousands of options for you to find the very best gift. REI is, of course, one of many retailers with specific gift guide hubs, among them Nordstrom, Sephora, Amazon, Walmart, Wayfair and many more.
SKIP AHEAD Best gifts at REI by category
If youre planning to gift anyone in the coming month or two, experts have told us repeatedly to consider doing so sooner than later. As NBC News previously reported, UPS and FedEx anticipate a so-called shipageddon, concerned that up to 7 million packages could be delayed. In response, retailers have already started pushing early Black Friday sales and other incentives for shoppers to finalize purchases early.
Many are speculating consumers will be plagued by out-of-stock items or late packages if they wait until typical holiday rush times to shop, senior research analyst Jessica Young of Digital Commerce 360 previously told us. To help you find the best gifts this year, and for those specifically interested in REIs offerings we explore below the best gift options at REI, informed by its 2020 gift guide, by price, brand and category to help you home in on the perfect gift for your giftee. Of course, one easy way to get your shopping done is by grabbing your REI-loving giftee a simple and very useful gift card.
Best gifts at REI
A common brand in Shopping coverage and mentioned in our gift guides, roundups of eco-friendly products and sustainable brands and a recent entrant in our New & Notable column, BioLites highly-rated headlamp could be a fantastic upgrade or gift for (yourself or) your outdoors-loving giftee. It allows for multiple modes, from flood light to strobe and the fabric that sits on your forehead is moisture-wicking to help with the hotter months. Promising up to 40 hours on a single charge (which uses micro USB), the HeadLamp 330 shines with 330 lumens. The headlamp has garnered a 4.5-star average rating from more than 570 reviewers at REI.
Another Shopping-favorite brand is YETI, whose wares have made into our monthly best buys coverage, gift guides for people who fish and the best last-minute gifts. Designed to be dishwasher-safe and completely leakproof, the highly-rated bottle is simple and minimalist in looks. You can get it in four different colors, including Stainless Steel, Black, Navy and Seafoam. The bottle cap is actually two different caps (hence the chug cap) to give you an actual bottle cap and then an internal one to make sipping much easier and less messy. The rambler has gotten a 4.5-star average rating from more than 760 reviewers.
Another brand to show up in both our best fishing gifts and last-minute gifts is an iconic purveyor of GPS trackers. This stylish model, which sports a 4.5-star average rating from nearly 30 reviewers, comes in Surf Blue, Tactical Moss and Cloudbreak. It equips a compass, barometric altimeter and navigation via GPS, GLONASS and Galileo. Its shock-resistant and water-resistant (up to 100 meters) and can help monitor your heart rate, estimated sleep time and pulse oxygen levels. The watch charges by solar and can last up to 50 days or so with it turned on. A serious gift, this makes the most sense for the outdoors traveler in your life.
The highly-rated Flexlite Air Chair is simple: a compact and stowable folding chair thats high-quality and durable. Its nylon seat is finished with DWR for water-resistance and it can hold up to 250 pounds. You can gift the Flexlite to anyone who moves around a lot and wants to have an easy sitting position at any time or someone who pays you social visits that are distanced and safe. You can get the Flexlite in Asphalt, Copper Spice and Muted Sage. More than 130 reviewers left it a 4.2-star average rating.
Weve covered Goal Zero plenty in the past, from our guide to solar power chargers to our guide on the best portable generators. This highly-rated solar panel briefcase fits right in its gotten a 4.5-star average rating from more than 30 reviewers. The brand promises a rugged and durable solar panel for temporary or permanent installation. A kickstand built into the panel helps you find the perfect angle and its designed to connect with other panels if you plan on upping your output. The 100-Watt solar cell is built into a 25-pound body and is foldable.
Best gifts at REI by category
To give you a more broad look at what possible gifts you can source from REI, here they are broken down by various filters for your consideration, starting with some very broad buckets.
Best gifts at REI by activity
REI has bucketed more than a thousand gifts into these use cases, some of the most popular among its shoppers.
Best gifts for kids
With more than 180 gift options fit for kids, here are some of the top-rated options.
Best gifts for pets
With 40 gift options fit for pets, here are some of the top-rated options.
Best tech gifts
With more than 60 tech gifts, here are some of the top-rated options.
Best gifts under $25
With more than 170 gifts under $25, here are some of the top-rated options.
Best gifts under $50
With more than 200 gifts under $50, here are some of the top-rated options.
Best gifts under $100
With more than 200 gifts under $100, here are some of the top-rated options.
More shopping guides and recommendations
Catch up on the latest from NBC News Shopping guides and recommendations and download the NBC News app for full coverage of the coronavirus outbreak.
