Once a year, a day rolls around that’s dedicated to showing your significant other just how much you appreciate them. Maybe that includes conjuring up their favourite food, making a restaurant do it, or simply hitting up Uber Eats. Because you both deserve a night in sometimes. In some cases, there are flowers and chocolates involved, but that’s far too boring for us. Here at Stuff, we like to show our love with the things we know you’ll get some value out of for more than a day — useful gizmos and gadgets.
With Valentine’s day almost in sight for 2021, we at Stuff have decided to put our heads together and list the things we’d love to receive as gifts. Hopefully, you’ll find a gem in this list of 10 gadgets that your significant other would appreciate more than a box o’ chocolates.
1. Nokia 8.3 5G + Power Earbuds Lite
This Valentine’s Day treat your loved one to the perfect pair! Stay connected with the Nokia 8.3 5G, with advanced 5G network compatibility, and soak up the sound with the Nokia Power Earbuds Lite, promising up to 35 hours of playtime and IPX7 rated waterproofing.
2. UE Wonderboom 2
What’s the use of listening to sick jams if you can’t enjoy them with your favourite person? The UE Wonderboom 2 is one of the best portable Bluetooth speakers in this price range, and the perfect gift-for-two — especially if you’re dedicated enough to take on co-owning a speaker together.
3. Lego Iconic Roses
If you want to stick to the traditional sentiment of roses, better make it as geeky as possible, right? Lego’s Iconic Roses are the perfect setup for a romantic playdate, even if you’re actually too old for one. If you’re both really into Lego, you can always invest in the scale-model Death Star. But these are perfect if you’re not ready for that level of commitment yet.
4. Spotify Premium Duo subscription
We mentioned jamming to loud music together above, but chances are high you don’t listen to the same type of music on the daily. If you do, congrats — you’re a god-tier couple. Either way, Spotify’s new Premium Duo subscription brings down the price for two accounts in the same household to just R80.
5. Nintendo Switch [Animal Crossing Special Ed]
Being a gamer is fun, but being two gamers is better. Mostly because you can play co-op games or destroy the relationship in a competitive game. Either’s fine if you’ve invested in a Nintendo Switch with removable Joy-Cons, because the console can easily be docked to a TV for a few bouts of Mario Kart.
6. 2x Huawei Band 4 fitness trackers
Nothing’s more romantic than hitting the gym and getting fit together right? No, we’re not masochists, but going out and doing things is somewhat of a privilege these days, and if you can do it with your lover, why not? Invest in two Huawei Band 4 fitness trackers and get those steps in together. Just don’t start competing — it’s a bad idea.
7. Additional controller (PS4, PS5, Xbox One)
If you’ve recently invested in a game console, or a life partner, you’ll probably need an additional controller ASAP. Get your hands on another PS4, PS5 or Xbox One controller and disguise it as a Valentine’s gift. But actually, it’s still yours, and you can finally play co-op Rayman Legends with your buddies.
8. Instax Mini 11
How will you hold on to any memories without a physical, printed copy of all the pictures? Of course, smartphones exist, but nothing really beats feeling those mementos in your hands. The Instax Mini 11 produces some of the best quality polaroids in the biz, using fancy software and anti-blur tech.
9. Attend a virtual cooking class
We’ve seen a whole lot of physical gifts on this list, how’s about a virtual one? In line with social distancing recommendations, why not attend a virtual cooking class this weekend with some of SA’s top chefs? Both of you could probs do with some improved cooking skills, and these cooks look like they know what they’re doing.
10. Stuff 1-year subscription
If your partner is a gadget and tech lover (like… who isn’t?), why not spoil them with the gift that keeps on giving: Stuff. A 1-year subscription to Stuff will award your partner with 6 brand new issues of Stuff mag in either print or digital format. There really couldn’t be a better Valentine’s gift, but we’re humble, okay?
Get the Print sub here, and the Digital sub here