Struggling to figure out what to give your athletic friends and family this year for the holidays? These are the best athletic clothes, equipment, or accessories that every athlete actually wants to get!
Note: There are affiliate links included in this article. Check out my disclosure policy for any questions.
I cannot even begin to describe to you how annoying it is to try to figure out what gifts to buy and give to everyone for the holidays.
To try to help you so you don’t pull your hair out trying to figure it out like me, I’ve got all the best gifts for athletes.
Whether you want to buy clothes or equipment, or spend a lot or a little, I’ve got it all covered in this list. Trust me, you’ll find something to give them without having to do a crazy amount of research!
This post is all about gifts for athletes!
Overall best gifts for athletes
Best accessory: Airpods
Best equipment: Ankle weights
Best for girls: Lightweight zip up
Best for guys: Socks
Best athletic Accessories to gift
Airpods
This one is a classic, but still one of the best gifts for athletes you can give. Every athlete needs a good pair of headphones and Airpods are just that. Plus, they are wireless which is super helpful.
Apple watch
If you are willing to spend a bit more, an apple watch is a super generous gift you can give an athlete. If they don’t already have a fitness tracker, an apple watch is great because it will pair with other apple products if they have.
Plus, this can be used for athletic tracking purposes, but also personal stuff like phone calls, texts, and more.
Apple watch band
With the watch, you can also get super cute watch bands. These come in just about every color and pattern, so you will definitely be able to find something for everyone!
Gym bag
Every athlete can always use a new gym bag! This one has a pocket for literally everything you would need to bring. The separate sneaker pocket is also amazing so all of your stuff doesn’t get dirty and smelly from your gym shoes.
Sneaker insoles
The bad news: the foam insoles that come with basketball sneakers are wasting the energy you put into the ground.
The good news: VKTRY Performance Insoles return that energy, allowing you to reach your true potential. Made from aerospace-grade carbon fiber, VKs are customized for your sport, gender, age and weight. You will experience faster sprint times, more explosive movement, and less injuries with VKTRY Performance Insoles. There’s no better footwear for a hooper to be wearing this season than VKTRY!
Fitbit
Like the Apple Watch, a Fitbit is another option is you are looking to buy someone a fitness tracker. This has very similar capabilities and functionality compared to an Apple watch, so you can’t go wrong either way.
Exercise dice
This is such a fun athletic accessory to gift an athlete. This dice has different exercises on each side and the person has to roll it to see what they have to do.
An exercise dice is definitely one way to make working out just a little more fun!
Reusable water bottle
You can never go wrong by getting an athlete a reusable water bottle. Whether they need it for their exercise or just their life, they are sure to make use of this gift.
You can go with a classic like a Hydroflask, which is super high quality and will keep their drink hot or cold because it’s an insulated bottle. Another option is to get a motivational water bottle. These have different times and motivational boosts printed on the bottle so you stay on track drinking your water.
Cookbooks
Cookbooks are a great way to encourage healthy living through more than just exercise. There are literally hundreds of different cookbooks that you can gift an athlete to give them some fun new healthy recipes to try in the kitchen!
JBL speaker
A speaker is always a great go-to for anyone remotely athletic. Whether they use it while exercising or just whenever they need, a speaker always comes in handy.
The speaker linked above is also amazing because it’s small and lightweight, so they won’t have to lug something big around. It can even clip onto your bag to make it even easier to carry around.
Odor eliminating bags
Let’s be honest, gym stuff starts to smell… really quickly… and really bad. No need to suffer through those disgusting gym smells!
Try gifting these odor eliminating bags that can be used absolutely anywhere to get rid of those nasty gym smells! Whether it’s a gym bag, sneakers, or laundry, these odor eliminating bags will help solve the problem.
Pre wrap
Colorful pre wrap is also another fun gift for athletes. These are a cheaper option if you don’t want to spend a crazy amount!
custom medals
A custom medal is such a cute and thoughtful gift idea for an athlete!
Best athletic equipment to gift
Resistance bands
As far as athletic equipment goes, resistance bands are perfect because they are so versatile. If you don’t know much about what the person usually does in the gym, resistance bands are a great go-to gift.
These can be used by men or women for so many different exercises, so you can’t go wrong gifting a set of resistance bands.
Theragun
If you are willing to spend a pretty penny on a gift for your athlete, this is the way to go.
A Theragun is one of the best athletic equipment for athlete recovery. While it’s definitely on the pricey end of this list, it is super high quality and well worth the money.
Ankle weights
Ankle weights are another small and easy gift if you want to give the athlete equipment. Like the resistance bands, these can be used for a bunch of different exercises, so you really can’t go wrong gifting them.
Yoga mat
Yoga mats are amazing gifts for athletes. If the person is into yoga, perfect… give them a yoga mat! And even if they aren’t, yoga mats can just be used as a mat for so many other stationary exercises, whether at home or at the gym.
Adjustable dumbbells
For someone trying to work out at home, adjustable dumbbells are a great gift idea! These save space and money when trying to build up your home gym equipment. Instead of having to buy dumbbells in every weight, you can just buy one!
Foam roller
A foam roller can literally be used by anyone doing any athletic activity, making it a perfect gift to give!
TRX straps
This is another gift on the more expensive side, but a super useful piece of equipment if you want to spend more.
Gifts for athletes – girl
Lulu lemon leggings
These are one of the best pairs of athletic leggings out there. While they are on the pricey end, they are super high quality and will last you through so many workouts.
Yoga mat bag
For those who regularly use a yoga mat, this yoga mat bag is the perfect gift! It is completely adjustable, so it will fit around most yoga mats and make it super easy to carry it to and from the gym or wherever you do their yoga.
Cute yoga mat
Speaking of yoga, here’s another yoga mat that you can gift. This one comes in so many cute patterns, which makes exercising with it so much more fun!
Athletic shorts
A good pair of athletic shorts are another essential when working out. These ones are amazing because they also have pockets, which is rare in women’s athletic shorts!
Gym bag
Here’s another option for a gym bag for women. This bag is very high quality and has a bunch of pockets for all the gym essentials!
Lightweight zip up
Especially as it gets colder, a lightweight zip up sweatshirt is super important to have when going to the gym.
Gifts for athletes – Guy
Athletic shorts
These athletic shorts are the perfect pair of high quality shorts to gift any athletic guy!
Socks
Socks are another gift for athletes that are usually forgotten. Although it may not be the most exciting of gifts, everyone needs socks when they are working out, so you can’t go wrong gifting some!
This post was all about gifts for athletes!
Other posts you may like:
