Take it from a woman who knows: traditional Valentine's gifts aren't the ones you remember. The Valentine's gift I remember most fondly from my first boyfriend were Runts that were sorted by color for me because they were given to me with three white, pink, and red heart-covered Altoids tins, which I've used years after I ate all the candy. Giving a practical gift that your partner will use every day can let a day's expression of love echo for months or years. These gifts are practically perfect in every way — and most of them are pretty to boot!
Beyond helping you avoid dropping your phone, this can prevent joint fatigue from pinky-propping or overstretching your thumbs across the screen. If your partner is always using their phone, a PopSocket isn't just cute; it's better for their hands. There are tons of styles, from Minnie Mouse to metallic diamonds.
These cute reddish-pink earbuds fit well in my dainty feminine ears, and they'll last 8 hours on a single charge. Since they charge over USB-C, your partner won't need to dig out an old micro-USB cable to charge them, and they turn on and off automatically when their magnets come apart.
Whether your partner can burn through battery like nobody's business texting you gifs all day or has a habit of forgetting to charge their phone overnight, this makeup-sized power bank can recharge their phone quickly on the go. And it comes in fun colors like teal and a warm creamy pink!
Google Nest Minis may be small, but they're a great way to ease your partner into the wonderful world of smart home magic. They're also great for pairing with Bluetooth speakers for easy whole-home music during chores or lazy afternoons of random Google searches.
The Galaxy Watch Active 2 isn't just one of the best watches Samsung's ever made; it's the best watch you can use with an Android phone today! The automatic fitness tracking is terrific, and this is the first watch I've owned that's comfy enough to wear to bed for sleep tracking.
If your partner needs a new laptop that's light enough to carry everyday, durable enough to withstand life's chaos, and efficient enough to last all day on a single charge, Lenovo's C340-11 is a wonderful option. This is the Chromebook I work on full-time, and the Sand Pink color option is finally back in stock!!
Available in almost 20 color styles, this prehistoric phone stand supports your partner's nerdy passions, along with their phones while they're working in the office, kitchen, or anywhere else. Plinrise also sells phone stands in enough other animal shapes to fill a zoo, so no matter their animal preferences, they've got one you both will love.
If your hands are dirty from making dinner or working on a new painting, a stylus can keep you connected without getting your phone all smudged. Styluses are cheap, practical, and with as many as there are in this pack, even if your partner is always losing pens, they won't run out anytime soon. I always keep one zipped in my winter coat's inner pocket for use with non-capacitive gloves.
Whether your partner carries a cute little Chromebook or a big 16-inch beast of a Windows laptop, you can grab a laptop sleeve in a size that fits and a color that they'll love. The inside of the sleeve has a soft lining, and having a separate pouch for cables makes them both easier to pack in your gear bag.
Go big or go small, just go practical!
I know big showy gifts are all the rage, but really, it's hard to go wrong with a phone grip like PopSockets that will save your love's hands from decades of joint pain — like my left pinky, which is yelling at me as I type this. Another oft-overlooked and ultra-helpful accessory that can showcase a little nerdy levity is the Plinrise Dinosaur Phone Stand, which comes in just about every color you could imagine, and works well as a desk figurine when not propping up your phone for those sexy long-distance video chats.
If you want a more meaningful gift for your lover this Valentine's Day, first make sure they actually need what you're buying them. A fitness-oriented smartwatch like the Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2 can be a really nice gift that they'll wear every day and every night, but some women can also see it as an offensive gift if they think it means "you need to get in shape." If your partner is always complaining about their current laptop, a Chromebook like the pretty pink Lenovo C340-11 can let them work on a lighter, faster machine while out and about and let them leave the older, slower Windows/Mac at home for more intensive projects. Just pay attention to what your partner needs and wants and find a gift that proves that you listen, and you care!
