Gifts for your wife or girlfriend

There are three pens of each tip, told apart by the barrel: blue for hard, black for soft. The hard tip holds its point for small, tidy writing and the soft one swells wider for headings. The ink is water-based pigment, and smooth paper such as a marker pad wears the tips far less than textured card.

• Hard and soft brush tips
• Water-based black pigment ink
• Neat writing to bold headings

What owners say: Owners call them smooth-flowing and close to a real calligraphy brush, with tips that last and plenty of pens in the pack. No complaint recurs.

The single hammock is 2.7 by 1.5 m (108 by 60 in) in quick-drying nylon and holds up to 181 kg (400 lb). The 2.5 m (8 ft) straps have ten adjustment points across the two, the carabiners are stainless steel, and everything rolls into the attached sack, 794 g (28 oz) in all.

• Tree straps included
• Holds 181 kg (400 lb)
• No knots to tie

What owners say: Easy to hang, light and compact once packed, it suits a hike or a camping trip, and owners find it good value.

The widths go by code, from 005 (0.20 mm) for hatching to 08 (0.50 mm) for outlines and headings. Sakura’s Pigma ink is fade-resistant and quick-drying, won’t bleed through most papers and sits happily under a watercolour wash; give it a moment before rubbing out the pencil underneath.

• 6 black widths, 0.20–0.50 mm
• Waterproof, fade-resistant pigment ink
• Fine enough for hatching

What owners say: Owners use them for writing, drawing and outlining, with no bleeding or feathering, and like the spread of tip sizes. How long the ink lasts is the mixed point.

The light, medium and heavy bands run from about 9 to 32 kg (20 to 70 lb). Sit one on the thighs just over the knees for squats and side steps, or move it down to the ankles for kickbacks once the lighter band feels easy. A small carry case keeps all three together, so the set can live in a backpack, the car or a drawer at work.

• Resistance about 9–32 kg
• Woven fabric loops
• Won’t roll up or pinch

What owners say: The bands stay put without sliding, owners say, and inner and outer thigh work is where they feel them most, moving up a band as they get stronger. How long they last is the one thing that divides them.

Heads up: All three bands are black, and the listing mentions no labels, so mark each one’s strength with a tag or a dab of fabric marker when the set arrives.

It holds 473 mL (16 oz) and keeps drinks hot for up to 11 hours, or cold for 24, by Contigo’s figures. One hand holds, sips and locks it. A hook inside the lid keeps a tea bag’s string tidy, the lid goes on the dishwasher’s top rack, and the steel body is washed by hand.

• Hot up to 11 hours
• Push-button lid that locks
• Tea-bag hook in the lid

What owners say: Coffee stays hot for a long time and nothing leaks or spills, owners say, and they like the lock button; it travels well and cleans easily.

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The USB-C port gives up to 30W, enough to take a recent iPhone or Galaxy to half full in about 25 minutes by Anker’s figures, and the USB-A port up to 22.5W for an older cable, both at the same time. A small LED picks out the ports in the dark, it turns its own power down if it runs hot in a parked car, and Anker covers it for 18 months.

• 30W fast-charging USB-C port
• 30W and 22.5W together
• LED light finds the ports

What owners say: Owners rate how quickly it charges and how much power it packs into such a small plug, and they like having USB-C and USB-A side by side and its blue ring of light.

Featured in Stocking stuffers for adults →

Two tiers of teeth share the work: long ones loosen the knots and short ones smooth. Tangle Teezer makes it for straight, wavy and curly hair, and for adults and children alike. Take it for a second pass on towel-dried hair too, but keep it away from the blow-dryer: Tangle Teezer says not to use its brushes with direct heat.

• Two tiers of flexible teeth
• Straight, wavy or curly hair
• Special-edition chrome finish

What owners say: Morning knots come out without pulling or snapping and with little pressure, owners report, and they like the gold finish and how easily it cleans.

WoodWick’s medium hourglass holds 275 g (9.7 oz) of soy and paraffin wax and burns for up to 60 hours, by the maker’s figure, with a wooden lid to keep dust off between evenings. Break off the blackened tip of the wick before each lighting so the flame catches cleanly. At about 11.5 cm (4.5 in) tall, it fits a bedside table or a desk.

• Crackling wooden wick
• Burns up to 60 hours
• Wooden lid keeps dust off

What owners say: Owners love the warm vanilla and the comforting crackle, and say it burns for days on end, longer than other candles.

Featured in Pamper gifts for her →

Each has a clear 100 mL (3.4 fl oz) cup that shows when it needs filling, and seven settings run from fine to coarse on a ceramic core. FORLIM rates the motor at under 68 dB. Covers fit over the grinding ends between meals, and a brush in the box clears any salt that clogs.

• 100 mL per mill
• 7 grind settings
• Motor rated under 68 dB

What owners say: Owners say it works right out of the box, is easy to fill and use, and holds its charge so long that some haven’t recharged it yet; they’re pleased with what it costs.

Heads up: Only one USB-C cable comes in the box, to share between the two mills.

Under the ridges and knobs, which TriggerPoint designed to feel like a massage therapist’s hands, sits a rigid hollow core that takes users up to 227 kg (500 lb). It measures 33 cm (13 in) by 14 cm (5.5 in) and comes with free online how-to videos and a one-year warranty. Its short length suits one muscle at a time rather than both legs together.

• 33 cm (13 in) long
• Firm grid surface
• Fits in a gym bag

What owners say: It eases sore muscles without feeling too firm, owners report, has lasted them years and travels well. No complaint stands out.