Best gift ideas for people in long-distance relationships
Absence may make the heart grow fonder, but gifts are nice, too.
By
Leah Stodart
on
Leah Stodart
Senior Shopping Reporter
Leah Stodart is a Philadelphia-based Senior Shopping Reporter at Mashable where she covers and tests essential home tech like vacuums and TVs, plus eco-friendly hacks. Her ever-evolving experience in these categories comes in clutch when making recommendations on how to spend your money during shopping holidays like Black Friday, which Leah has been covering for Mashable since 2017.
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Long-distance relationships can be rough, but they are create an opportunity for some clever and thoughtful gift giving. Until teleportation is a thing, fill the void with these nifty gifts that can make you feel more connected, keep that spark alive, or simply help your S.O. feel less alone. With Valentine's Day coming up, this is an especially opportune time to let your long-distance loved ones know you're thinking of them with a gift. While some of these gifts are clearly for couples, others aren't limited to a romantic long-distance relationship. Living far away from family members or friends and not seeing them often can be just as hard. Many of these gifts would make just as sweet a gift for your BFF or your family.
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Credit: CHRONICLE BOOKS
'Letters to Open When...'
Best For Couples In Different Timezones
It can be hard to find the right moment to talk when your person lives in a different timezone. Letters to Open When... features a collection of writing prompts that you can complete and send to your partner for when you just can't seem to catch each other at a good time. Miss your soulmate but they're sleeping on the other side of the planet? Open one of their letters to hold you over until your next FaceTime session.
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Credit: Tile
A Tile Bluetooth tracker
Best For Forgetful People
While the destination (seeing you) is always a blast, the journey (getting there in one piece) isn’t always so blissful. A Tile Pro Bluetooth tracker can eliminate the frantic search for lost luggage at the airport, missing keys, or another travel fiasco. It can even make a lost phone ring when it's on silent.
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Credit: PETSAFE
An automatic pet feeder
Best For Pet Parents
Instead of begging a neighbor to stop by or simply overfilling the food dish, an automatic pet feeder ensures that their fur baby is fed on schedule while they're gone. This one can be programmed for timed feedings with specified portions, and is also smartphone- and Alexa-enabled in case your partner wants to keep closer tabs on meals.
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Credit: Fujifilm
An instant camera
Best For Capturing Every Moment
Pictures (especially instant ones) are the next best thing when you can't see their face IRL. The Fujifilm Instax Mini 12 is the ultimate sidekick for vintage-obsessed couples: Once printed, the photos can be put in mini frames or in a clear phone case for cute reminders wherever you go.
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Credit: SONY
Noise-canceling headphones
Best For Audiophiles
Whether it's listening to Spotify on a train ride to your lover or just FaceTiming in an obnoxiously loud public place, Sony's bestselling noise-canceling wireless headphones are here to make long-distance go more smoothly. Take your pick from three colors to suit their style: black, blue, or silver.
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Credit: URBAN OUTFITTERS
'We're Not Really Strangers'
Best For Starting Conversations
Being far away from each other can make genuinely intimate connection feel difficult, but We're Not Really Strangers is a game that can help you keep the spark alive and well. Basically a series of conversation starters for getting Deep™, this game is a fantastic option for a unique long-distance date night. No matter how long you've been together, you can always learn more about each other and strengthen your bond.
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Credit: The Sill
Hoya Carnosa Tricolor
Best If They Have A Green Thumb
If your S.O. has an affinity for plants, what says "I love you" more than one that grows little pink flowers? Better yet, get one for them and one for yourself, so you can swap care tips over the phone and watch your little hoyas grow together.
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Credit: JOHN HARRISON AND VANESSA WHALEN
Long-distance touch lamps
Best For Couples Who Hate Texting
Meet our favorite long-distance gadget for five years running. These colorful touch lamps let your loved ones know you're thinking about them in real time. After each person connects their lamp to WiFi, they'll sync up, and a quick tap sends a message to the other. (A touch to one lamp will make the other light up.) Get a pair for you and your best pal or boo.
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Credit: DISNEY+
Disney+
Best For Movie Nights
Movie nights are the classic date night plan, and just because you can't get to a theater or cuddle up on the couch doesn't mean you can't still make them happen. Disney+ has a stellar catalogue of movies and shows, as well as a watch party feature that makes streaming in tandem stress-free.
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Credit: JACKBOX GAMES
A Jackbox party pack
Best For Faraway Friend Groups
While there may never be a party game as competitive as Mario Kart, anything from Jackbox is guaranteed to be a good time. If you and your boo miss hanging out with your friend group, Jackbox makes for the perfect long-distance game night. Each person in the group just has to download the app and put in the room code. (Only one person has to have a Jackbox account.) We're partial to Quiplash 3, which will absolutely expose your less-funny half — but Jackbox has a ton of game bundles to choose from.
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Credit: THRIVE MARKET
A grocery delivery subscription
Best For Conscious Snackers
A subscription to Thrive Market saves your S.O. from facing the Trader-Joe's-on-a-weekend chaos alone. Produce and eggs aren't sold here, but they do have organic and thoughtfully sourced meat, fish, wine, pet food, and other non-perishable goods. It's especially practical for people who have dietary restrictions or who hate cooking from scratch. Plus, its prices are comparable to Walmart's.
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Credit: CASETIFY
A plane ticket phone case
Best For Frequent Flyers
Traveling is the backbone of any long-distance relationship. Casetify's chic collab with Pangram Pangram brings iPhone cases (as well as AirPod cases and Apple Watch bands) featuring mock plane tickets to cities like New York, Berlin, and Sydney. Display your boo's hometown, where you met, or whatever other place marks a special memory.
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Credit: MASTERCLASS
A MasterClass subscription
Best For Keeping Your Partner Busy
Hearing someone you care about gushing about something they care about is seriously heartwarming. If there's a skill they've always wanted to learn, there's probably a MasterClass for that. These aren't just any online courses, though: Natalie Portman teaches acting, Tom Morello teaches guitar, and Gordon Ramsey teaches cooking.
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Credit: UNCOMMON GOODS
Long-distance bracelets
Best For Couples Who Talk 24/7
When texting constantly simply isn't cutting it, this matching set of bracelets can send a sweet "I'm thinking of you" reminder. A quick touch of one bracelet makes the other light up and vibrate — as if to send a "touch" to your partner when you can't be there IRL.
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Credit: MARIE POULLE AND JEAN GREGOIRE
The Lovebox spinning heart messenger
Best For Sentimental Types
Make mushy letters a thing again with the Lovebox. Pull up its companion app on your phone to send a sweet message to the screen under its lid — say, a love note for your honey or a "thinking of you" for grandparents who don't text. The heart on the box will spin, alerting the person on the other end that they’ve got mail. It might be corny, but this nifty box has earned over 100 five-star reviews.
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Credit: SHUTTERFLY
Literally anything personalized
Best For Showing Off A Loved One
Not seeing your partner for extended periods of time will have you wanting to slap their face on everything, and we don't blame you. A step up from the expected phone background, putting your favorite picture together on a snuggly blanket, a coffee mug, an ornament, a face mask, or a surprisingly thoughtful oven mitt is sure to spark a smile.
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Credit: HOMESICK
A Homesick candle
Best For Nostalgic Couples
Homesick's collection of hand-poured soy wax candles features scents inspired by specific locations that'll remind your long-distance loved one of home. There are over 50 options available, from Southern California (with notes of orange, lemon, sea breeze, rose, and jasmine) to Wisconsin (a concoction of butter, maple, cinnamon, cranberry, and peppermint that's meant to smell like a warm Kringle on a snowy afternoon).
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Credit: HELLOFRESH
A HelloFresh subscription
Best For Foodies
Cooking together is one of the most underrated things that non-long distance couples take for granted. A HelloFresh subscription for each of you can guarantee a way to spend time "together" each week (plus a cleaner eating routine). Just order the same meals, conduct your guided prep via video chat, and voila: a cute date night.
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Credit: EMBIE DESIGN
A two-state print
Best For States-apart Couples
Couples who are states (not just cities) apart got the super shitty end of the stick. That distance does make for some adorable artwork, though. This piece takes each person’s name and location and puts them side by side on a custom print. It’s mushy for sure, but they’ll appreciate the constant reminder that you’re always connected. (Note that the frame is sold separately.)
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Credit: BROOK & YORK
Coordinate-engraved jewelry
Best For The Detail-oriented
Accessorizing with your favorite person's coordinates is a potentially cliché yet heartwarming sentiment. Spice up the average jewelry gift with these minimalist bracelets, cuffs, necklaces, and rings from Brook & York, which can be subtly engraved with your loved one's location (or a location with a special meaning to both of you).
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Credit: WINC
A Winc membership
Best For Wine-with-dinner Couples
Date nights don't have to stop when your boo leaves. If each of you signs up for Winc, you'll have something new to sip (and discuss) during your romantic dinners over FaceTime. Its wine subscription boxes are super customizable, with vinos for those with casual palates to connoisseurs with refined tastes.
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Credit: MASHABLE PHOTO COMPOSITE / WHATCANDYSAYS
Chocolates with a message
Best For Someone With A Sweet Tooth
What's better than an old-fashioned love note? One that you can eat, obviously. This ultra well-reviewed shop on Etsy revamps the traditional gift of chocolate to let you send *literal* sweet nothings right to bae's door — but there are options to make it naughty if you want.
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Credit: HERSCHEL
A Herschel weekender bag
Best For The Frequent Traveler
Packing for impromptu weekend trips is best described as "throwing any relatively clean article of clothing within reach into a suitcase." Herschel's Novel duffel bag helps organize that last-minute chaos with an internal storage sleeve and a separate compartment in the bottom for shoes. It comes in two sizes and, as with anything from Herschel, has a ton of color options.
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Credit: Birchbox
A Birchbox subscription
Best For Pampering From Afar
Self-care is a surefire way to get your spirits and confidence up while you're missing your long-distance loved one. Every time they open their monthly Birchbox, they'll think of you — and look forward to showing off the results of their new grooming or skincare routine the next time they see you in person.
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Credit: UNCOMMON GOODS
A movie list bucket list
Best For The Cinephile Couple
Movie night is the quintessential date night activity that's obviously made a bit harder when you're apart. If it's getting tricky to think of something new to watch, and you'd rather avoid the scroll-through-Netflix-for-45-minutes slog, this movie poster gives you 1,500 to choose from. Make your way through the list or choose one at random, and mark it off after you've watched it.
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Credit: LEGO
A Lego bouquet
Best Alternative to Flowers
A bouquet of flowers is super romantic, if a little temporary. TBH, the idea of watching a bouquet slowly die after the holiday is over (and you're potentially no longer in the same location as your lover) sounds depressing, to say the least. A more permanent solution? A Lego flower bouquet — you can build it together, it never needs to be watered, and the flowers can be enjoyed for years to come.
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Credit: Bearaby
A Bearaby weighted blanket
Best For Cozy Nights
When you're not there to make your person feel safe, a weighted blanket can be a stand-in Big Spoon. This chunky knit one from Bearaby comes in three weights — 10, 15, and 20 pounds — and is machine-washable. Plus, it looks way less utilitarian than it is.
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Credit: Uncommon Goods
My Otter Half keychain set
Best For a Cute Reminder
Ever seen a pic of two otters holding paws in the water? That's the inspiration for this keychain set: One otter is for you and the other's for your lover, so you'll think of each other every time you finally find your keys in the couch cushions. Cute!
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Credit: Trtl
A trtl travel pillow
Best For When They Visit
Make their trips to see you as comfortable as possible with a trtl pillow. This excellent accessory keeps their head upright as they rest on a plane or train, making it easy to sleep without sentencing themselves to a sore neck for their entire trip. Plus, it's super easy to pack and store — they won't need to wear it around the airport, but they might want to.
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Credit: Apple
Apple Watch Series 10
Best If They Hate Carrying A Phone
Patience is a virtue or whatever. It's also a must to keep your spirits up in a long-distance relationship. Sporting the newest Apple Watch can keep both of you busy and constantly connected. Send iMessages from your wrist, go for a virtual run together, and exchange heartbeat patterns via Digital Touch to cushion the loneliness.
Leah Stodart is a Philadelphia-based Senior Shopping Reporter at Mashable where she covers and tests essential home tech like vacuums and TVs, plus eco-friendly hacks. Her ever-evolving experience in these categories comes in clutch when making recommendations on how to spend your money during shopping holidays like Black Friday, which Leah has been covering for Mashable since 2017.
