It can be challenging to buy good gifts for family and loved ones, and even harder when trying to buy a healthy gift.
With so many brands advertising their products as healthy holiday gifts, we wanted to make a roundup post for health-conscious consumers with research-backed, unique, interesting gift options.
We reviewed hundreds of brands and selected the following products for our 2022 Healthy Holiday Gift Guide.
Aventon eBikes
Electronic bikes, or eBikes, are the perfect hybrid between a workout and a leisurely ride. You can choose to pedal exclusively, choose to use the motor exclusively, or use a combination.
A clinical trial published in the Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine found that eBike use caused similar cardiovascular health benefits to regular bike use. People who use eBikes regularly may also experience improved mental and physical health according to research studies.
We recommend Aventon eBikes because they're durable, beautifully designed and a great gift that can improve both mental and physical health. The brand's website is accessible at this link.
PowerBoost Percussion Massager
Sharper Image manufactures a percussive massager called the PowerBoost which can help reduce pain and improve recovery in a drug-free manner.
A 2021 clinical trial found that percussive massage treatment can improve endurance during strength training. The device can also provide relief for tired and sore muscles.
The PowerBoost is a sleekly-designed tool that's significantly cheaper than many percussive therapy models on the market at only $99.99. The product's official website is accessible at this link.
Verve Culture Artisan Citrus Juicer
For those looking for a gift that's great for health and interior design, Verve Culture's citrus juicer is perfect.
It's one of the best-designed kitchenware items we've come across, and it can make it more fun and convenient to consume citrus fruits like lemons and limes. Polyphenols from lemons are associated with increased longevity in animal studies, and many lemon and lime juices at supermarkets have preservatives and come in plastic bottles.
Interested consumers can check out the Verve Culture juicer at this link.
Nolah Weighted Bamboo Blanket
Weighted blankets are a great gift during the winter months because they can improve sleep quality and are super comfy.
A meta-study published in the American Journal of Occupational Therapy reviewed clinical trials on weighted blankets and found that their use significantly reduces anxiety. It's currently unclear on what may be causing this effect, but it suggests that this product can be perfect for consumers who may struggle with both anxiety and sleep issues.
This product is made from bamboo and glass microbeads. It's entirely free of potentially harmful materials like memory foam that may off-gas and are harmful to the environment.
The Nolah Weighted Bamboo Blanket is currently half-off and retailing for barely over $100 which is a great price for a weighted blanket. Here's the link to the official product page.
New Zealand Manuka Honey
Manuka honey not only tastes great but is one of the most well-studied types of honey for health benefit.
A 2017 medical review found that manuka honey had anti-cancer effects due to its antioxidant, anti-microbial and anti-proliferative capacities. It's significantly healthier in our opinion than commercial honey which is pasteurized and loses much of its health-promoting nutrition.
Here's the link to the New Zealand Honey website.
Toxyfree Non-Toxic Cosmetics
Toxyfree is a brand that curates healthy, non-toxic home goods, including cosmetics, kitchenware and much more.
The brand's organic perfume is created with entirely plant-based ingredients like organic jojoba oil and organic essential oils. This is a much healthier option than commercial perfumes that contain fragrance, an ingredient shown in medical research to negatively impact human health.
Toxyfree also sells a Handmade Dry Brush, and this type of item is effective for unclogging pores and exfoliating skin according to the Cleveland Clinic.
The brand has a lot of alternatives to commercial products that we consider healthy, non-toxic options so definitely take a look around their site.
FitVine Healthier Wine
FitVine's wine is free of added sugar and sulfites, and is priced the same as a wine you'd buy in a grocery store (around $16 per bottle).
Sulfites are used to preserve wines, but can cause headache, rashes and other side effects according to a medical review in the Molecules journal. Sulfites have no nutritional benefit so it's logical to avoid them in our opinion.
FitVine is the most affordable sulfite-free wine brand we've come across, and would definitely recommend the brand to consumers who enjoy wine but are trying to make healthier purchase decisions. Here's the link to the brand's official website.
Bathorium Bath Bomb
Most bath bomb products are full of questionable ingredients like fragrance and artificial colors which are arguably harmful to human health.
Bathorium sells a bath bomb called Snooze that's made with entirely non-toxic, skin-enhancing ingredients like magnesium sulfate, grapeseed oil and organic aloe vera.
Here's the link to the official product listing.
Manta Sleep Mask
Manta makes the comfiest sleep mask we've ever tried, and it's affordably priced at only $35.
This gift is a great option for people who want to naturally improve sleep quality but may not be able to install blackout blinds in their house, or for travel. It's significantly more effective than the cheap airline-type masks. You can't see any light at all when you wear it. They also come with earplugs.
A 2021 clinical trial found that eye mask and ear plug use improved sleep quality in ICU patients. We can't locate any medical studies on healthy patients, but it seems logical that the same effects would hold given that light exposure during sleep negatively impacts sleep quality.
Here's the official link to this product on Manta's site.
Non-Toxic Water Bottle
We recommend reusable water bottles that are free of plastic.
While many brands advertise "BPA-free" plastic bottles, the truth is that all plasticizing chemicals (like BPS) can cause neurotoxicity and reproductive toxicity according to medical studies.
All parts of Iron Flask's water bottles are made with stainless steel (even the caps) which is why we recommend this brand as a healthier alternative to plastic water bottles (both single-use and reusable). They're also better-designed than most stainless steel bottles.
Iron Flask has a wide range of different designs and sizes, but all of them are made using stainless steel. Here's the link to the brand's website.
