Every year my family asks me what I want as a gift for the holidays. So, over the past few years, I started making a list of niche Apple-themed items I came across on the internet.
It can be challenging to shop for that nerdy friend or family member who always has the latest tech. This gift guide won’t tell you to go out and buy a pair of AirPods or a HomePod mini. Instead, I’m sharing with you my personal list of unique Apple fan merchandise.
We’ve got Apple-themed pillows, blankets, ice cube moulds, masks, deconstructed iPhones, and even iMac fish tanks. Consider this the ultimate gift guide for that particular Apple fan in your life.
Six Colour Commander and Hello Shirts
T-shirts are always a good go-to gift for anyone in your life. Creator Basic Apple Guy designed two unique styles of t-shirts available for sale on cottonbureau.com. The first is the iconic ‘hello’ in the original Macintosh font, which any Apple fan will immediately recognize and appreciate.
The second is the classic Mac command (⌘) symbol but made out of Apple devices such as the Mac Pro, iPhone, Apple Watch, and HomePod. Both shirts come in black or white and are made of high-quality blended material. In addition, both the ‘hello’ text and command symbol are printed in a lovely six-colour fill that pays homage to the original iMacs.
Price: $29 USD per shirt (roughly $37 CAD)
Apple Device Masks
While we all hope that the COVID-19 pandemic is coming to an end, face masks are still required in many places and will most likely still be for quite some time. So, Apple device management company Jamf created the perfect face masks for an Apple fan. These black fabric masks have iMacs, MacBooks, iPads, and iPhones printed on them in blue, green, red, and grey fill. The face masks are 3-layers of fabric, washable, and made with a polyester outer layer and an antimicrobial cotton inner layer.
Price: $14.25 per 3-pack (roughly $18 CAD)
Iconic Pillows
Throwboy is a company of Apple lovers creating products for other Apple lovers. Throwboy makes many incredible Apple-themed products, but their claim to fame is their iconic pillow lineup. These throw pillows are soft, high quality, and pop with creativity. Throwboy’s pillow lineup includes the Finder icon, the Spinning Wheel of Death, an Apple II, an iMac G3, the original Macintosh, the classic iPod, and the original iPhone. They also make a gaming controller and a YouTube Subscribe Button, among others you should check out.
Price: $39 to $51 CAD per pillow
Iconic Pocket Pillows
If a full-sized throw pillow doesn’t quite work for your space, consider grabbing one or more pocket pillows! These little guys measure around 4-inches and make for the perfect subtle decoration around an office, bedroom, or house. To keep up with the Apple theme, you can buy the Finder icon, the original Macintosh, or an iMac G3. If you want something a little different, you can also buy film rolls, cameras, avocados, and parcels in pocket pillow form.
Price: $20 CAD per pocket pillow
Throw Blankets
Now that you have your pillows picked out, you should grab a blanket too! Throw blankets are a new addition Throwboy’s lineup of Apple-themed home decor. You can grab designs such as the Text Editor icon, the original Macintosh, and three different macOS versions from the ’80s, ’90s, or 2000s.
Price: $60 CAD per blanket
T-shirts, Hats, Hoodies and Mugs
With Throwboy’s designers being such Apple fans, they created a lineup of hats, shirts, and mugs that feature designs such as the multi-coloured ‘hello’ text in tribute to the original iMac and the command symbol. However, if you’re looking for a neat cryptic gift for that attention-detailed Apple fan, few are as clever as their ‘9:41’ design — a reference to the exact time the original iPhone was released.
Price: $25 to $71 CAD per item
Drink Different Ice Cube Molds
Does that Apple fan in your life like ice-cold drinks? If they do, why not gift them the most fantastic ice cubes in the house? Accessory brand Cozy designed ice cube moulds in the shape of the original Macintosh released in 1984.
Price: $8.99 USD per 2-pack (roughly $11 CAD)
Mac Inspired Candle
If the Apple fan you’re shopping for needs help relaxing or a better-smelling home office, Twelve South has the candle for them! This candle features strong notes of armoise (i.e. mugwort) and bergamot. These notes are complemented with hints of lemon, tarragon, amber and musk. The candle is housed in a ceramic Mac-inspired shell. You’ll get 60-70 hours of burn time with this 95-ounce candle.
Price: $40.57 CAD per candle
Dark Mode Koozie Set
Another Twelve South designed product is a dark mode koozie set for your canned and bottled beverages. Each one of the six koozies is unique in design. One of the six koozies is black with the text “dark mode” printed on it. The other five are red with sayings that are sure to make an Apple fan chuckle. Phrases include “drink different,” “Siri, I’ll have another,” and “Pour one out for iTunes.”
Price: $20 USD per 6-pack (roughly $25 CAD)
GRID Frames
If the Apple fan in your life is looking for that perfect piece of statement art for their office wall, look no further because GRID has the product for them. GRID Frames are professionally deconstructed iPhones and Apple Watches, labelled and framed to create a beautiful display. You can find iPhones ranging from the 3G to the iPhone X, and Apple Watches Series 0 and Series 1. In addition, GRID makes a few other unique framed pieces, including an iPod Touch, Blackberries, and handheld gaming systems.
Price: $139 to $269 USD per frame (roughly $175 to $340 CAD)
Activity Award Enamel Pins
If the Apple fan in your life is an Apple Watch user who loves closing their activity rings, this gift is for them. Activity Awards creates custom enamel pins that are exact physical replicas of the digital Apple Watch activity awards. Encourage and motivate your Apple fan on their fitness journeys with a pin or two celebrating their successes!
Price: $8.99 to $12.99 USD per pin (roughly $11 to $16 CAD)
Custom Creations
Custom Creations Overview from Capture Photo and Video on Vimeo.
Would you like a fish screensaver that never goes to sleep? How about one of the nerdiest lamps ever? Then look no further than these custom upcycled creations by Jake Harms. Jake’s first project was taking an iMac G3 and turning it into a fish tank. He also sells lamps made out of iMac G4s, wall clocks built from Power Mac G4s, and table clocks featuring eMac disc drive tray covers.
If you or someone you know is handy and you have an old Mac lying around, you should check out Jared’s DIY kits for a fun project. Otherwise, order one of his custom-built creations for one of the most remarkable items you could have in your home.
Price: $69 to $449 USD each (roughly $87 to $567 CAD)
More cool stuff
If you’re looking to gift an Apple keychain, mousepad, stationary, or anything else Apple-themed, Missing Bite is the website to check out. Missing Bite sources Apple collectables and resells them to Apple fans and nostalgic tech geeks. I like the student door sign for $4.95 USD ($6.24 CAD), the Apple lanyard for $9.95 USD ($12.55 CAD), and the black vintage mousepad for $15.95 USD ($20.12 CAD). Explore the website and see what merchandise would be the best fit for the Apple fan in your life.
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