18 ideas from our Christmas Digital Detox Gift Guide

Whichever phone addict you’re buying for (maybe even yourself), we’ve got you covered with our annual digital detox Christmas gift guide. From being more mindful, to connecting with those around you, keeping hands busy with something other than a phone, to taking a break from screen scrolling outside – there’s something here for everyone. Prices range from £10 to £210.

Our Digital Detox Gift Guide for 2019

1. The Mindfulness Toolkit

£12.00 from Kikki.k

Any one of the ‘Inspiration’ Toolkits from Swedish stationery brand Kikki.k would be perfect to help break unwanted habits (like all that mindless screen scrolling). We’re particularly keen on the ‘Mindful’ set. Each toolkit features prompt cards, and a notebook and pen – you’ll be on your way to a more mindful lifestyle in no time.

2. The Vinyl Turntable 

From £140 from U-turn Audio

Rediscover the beauty of analogue sound and start a building a library of vinyl. The U-Turn Orbit Basic turntable offers good sound quality at a great price, perfect for beginners starting their vinyl collection. And you can customise your setup and choose from a range of vibrant colours.

3. The Retro Camera

£149.99 from John Lewis

Who doesn’t love those little retro-style instant photos that litter Instagram?* (*The irony). The Instax Mini LiPlay looks fantastic and produces georgeous instant photos. But don’t put them on your Insta feed, enjoy and share with friends during a digital detox. With 2.7″ LCD Screen & Built-in Flash.

4. The Adventure Gift Box

Kits range from £68 to £210 from Nite Ize

A gift box idea for every kind of adventurer. The Nite Ize Life’s Adventure Kits provide an assortment of gear based on the type of activities the recipient enjoys. Its kits contain gear for all the different adventures that keep life interesting. Whether you’re a fitness buff, DIYer, adventurer or sportsman, they have an adventure kit that’s just right.

5. The Book of Poetry

£10.49 on Amazon

Celebrate the power of the spoken word as a change from all that texting and IM’ing, with this lovely book of poems to learn and read aloud.  Boost creativity and improve memory as a neat side-effect.

6. The Stress-Reducing Bracelet

£14.00 from Dept. Store for the Mind

The Ten Deep Breaths bracelet helps ground you during daily stress, as a healthy alternative for reaching for your phone. Inhale and exhale once for each bead. Take deeper, longer breaths as you move from bead to bead. Feel your shoulders drop and anxiety ebb away.

7. The Game for Grown-Ups

£20.00 from The School of Life

When we put down our phones and have a really good conversation with a friend, it can feel like talking to a good therapist. They’re giving us their full attention. They’re giving us space to talk. They’re not interrupting us or pushing their own advice aggressively forward: they’re properly listening. The Therapy Game offers you a rare opportunity to listen and speak to another at a really fulfilling length and depth.

8. The Woolly Hat that Saves the Seas

£30 from Surfers Against Sewage

Encourage someone to get off their phone and get outside wearing one of these cosy wooly beanies made from 100% British Wool. Why choose wool? It’s all natural, and when washing a woollen beanie no nasty acrylic micro plastics are flushed into our ocean. But that’s not the best bit – every purchase from environmental charity Surfers Against Sewage helps them in their work to keep our oceans plastic-free.

9. The Craft Course for Idle Hands

From £114.00 for a 1-day course from The Royal School of Needlework

Need to keep active hands busy when they don’t have a phone to fiddle with? The Royal School Of Needlework teaches over 150 embroidery classes a year across the UK in Hampton Court Palace, Bristol, Bath, Birmingham, Durham and Glasgow.  There’s something for every level and interest within their day classes and longer courses programme.

10. The Digital Detox Book

From £4.79 on Amazon

Choose either of our two digital detox books – Off or Stop Staring at Screens. Both make perfect presents, or tiny hints, for someone who needs to put down their phone just a bit more often next year.

11. The Walking Tour

£10.00 from London Walks

Discover the colourful characters of London and give the gift of a walking tour of the world’s most vibrant capital city. From the Jack the Ripper tour to Harry Potter, The Beatles, the Foodies Tour and a classic pub tour – there’s a walking tour theme that will suit anyone. And it’ll get them off their phone.

12. The Family Board Game

£24.99 from John Lewis

In this suspenseful board game of the iconic 70s flick, one player takes on the role of the killer shark while the rest go hunting as Brody, Hooper and Quint. Part One of the gameplay involves the shark terrorising swimmers along Amity Island while trying to stay out of sight. In Part Two, the shark-seekers climb aboard the Orca in the hunt for Jaws. Stick on that theme tune to rack up the suspense in this hour(ish) long game.

13. The Healthy Evening Out

£ dependent on menu choice

Perfect for Dry January. Enjoy an evening off your phone with a night-out at one of London’s three Redemption Bars. Rightly known as the capital’s healthiest restaurants, they serve up vegan, sugar-free, and wheat-free food with an alcohol-free bar. The three buzzy spaces in Covent Garden, Notting Hill and Shoreditch are considered by many the best vegan restaurants in London.

14. The Festive Water Bottle

£20.00 from Chilly’s

Chilly’s water bottles keep water cold for 24 hours and, although heavier than most plastic bottles, one of these is definitely a good buy if you want to drink more water, and stay trendy as you do, while exploring the great outdoor rather than being glued to the sofa on your phone. There’s a simply huge range of colours and designs but why not get one that fits the festive theme?

15. The Bath Oil that’s helping Mental Health

£49 from Aromatherapy Associates

It’s tricky to take a phone into a bath, so we had to have something in our digital detox gift guide to encourage recipients to linger there longer! Luxurious aromatherapy oils from Aromatherapy Associates will make anyone want to bathe more. If you gift the Inner Strength formulation, created to be positive and uplifting while also providing comfort and strength, £1 of each sale will go to MIND.

16. The Digital Detox Kit

£20 from Pinch Provisions

This digital detox kit contains eight items to help the recipient power off. An eye mask, ear plugs, digital detox tips, activity dice, phone sleeve, a tech timer, a fidget cube and an alarm clock.

17. The Green Donation

Make a donation

Help Trees for Cities in their mission as the only UK charity working at a national and international level to improve lives by planting trees in cities. They get stuck in with local communities to cultivate lasting change in their neighbourhoods – whether it’s revitalising forgotten spaces, creating healthier environments or getting people excited about growing, foraging and eating healthy food. Donate on behalf of your gift recipient then take them out, away from their screens, to see one of the projects on action.

18. The Personalised Digital Detox Box

£29 from Lovestruck Interiors 

As a digital detox gift for a family, rather than an individual, this digital detox box will give the recipients the space to enjoy each other’s company without the distraction of screens. The detox box has been designed to either house several mobile phones or larger items such as ipads. Several gadgets can be stored at once.

We hope you’ve found something in our digital detox gift guide that’s just right for your phone addict friend, or family member! For more inspiration on how to help them log off, check out our digital detox challenges for some hints and tips.