Shopping for your favorite functional exerciser and not quite sure what to get them? Looking for ideas to put on a wishlist to hand out to relatives and friends? Here are some ideas for your favorite CrossFitter (even if that’s you!) during this 2016 holiday season. If you have any great ideas, feel free to put them in comments so others can steal them!
WORKOUT/LIFESTYLE SHOES
Up until recently there were three major players in the CF workout shoe space – Inov-8, Reebok, and Nike. No Bull has stepped in (pun intended) recently, so only early adopters have these shoes right now. They’re all made to withstand a good amount of abuse during workouts, especially during things like rope climbs. If you notice your giftee already wearing a particular brand, best bet is to get them the same style in a different color – there are plenty to choose from! And while I linked to Rogue Fitness here, you might be able to find deals elsewhere.
Nike Metcon 2 – $69.99-$99.99
Reebok Nano 6 – $79.99-$99.99
No Bull – $129-$159
WEIGHTLIFTING SHOES
Anyone serious about improving their lifting will have a pair of weightlifting shoes. They offer a harder surface to push against and an elevated heel for better ankle position for things like squats and olympic weightlifting. Most CrossFitters don’t spend the money on them in the first 6 months-1 year, but they are the best investment one could make. While Reebok makes some versions, I found their offerings limited. While they are made for both lifting and doing things like running/jumping, these two suggestions are for more serious lifting endeavors as they don’t offer great flexibility for plyometrics. However, the durability and reputation of these two go a long way.
Adidas Adipower Weightlifting Shoes – $149
Better for those with more narrow feet as compared to the Nike Romaleos. On sale on Rogue Fitness, Amazon, etc. Two main colors (white or black/red combo)
Nike Romaleos 2 – $159-$189
Better for those with wider feet as compared to the Adidas Adipowers. Several different colors for men and women.
SILICONE RINGS
The problem with grabbing a pull-up bar or barbell is that they will either scratch up your ring, or just make working out painful if you’re wearing jewelry. Wearing a silicone ring will allow you to workout without the pain or thought of losing an expensive ring!
Qalo ~$24.99
I was skeptical of these silicone rings thinking they would tear up or look worn out after a few months, but I’ve had my Qalo ring for almost 2 years and it looks just as good as the day I got it. Even though I have a Tungsten Carbide wedding band (scratch-proof) I pretty much wear my Qalo ring everyday. Men’s and Women’s wedding bands and rings. Many different styles and colors.
Ensorings – $11.99-$39.99
I don’t personally know a lot about these guys, but they do have the regular type rings and also cool stackable rings. They offer men’s and women’s rings in many different styles and colors.
JUMP ROPES
One of the first things a CrossFitter gets is a personal jump rope since the style, length, and weight of the rope can make huge differences for each athlete. Even if they have one already, it doesn’t hurt to have one at home and one in the gym bag. Plus, they might find a new style that they like!
Rogue Fitness SR-1 – $21.95
Rogue’s most reviewed jump rope by far (90 reviews vs. ~20 for others)
Rx Jump Rope – $42.95
Those looking to customize the rope handles can do so with Rx Jump Rope. These are also going to be generally better for beginners due to the heavier weight of the rope which offers better “feel” while jumping.
MISCELLANEOUS
The rest of the listings could all be in categories such as “bags” or “apparel,” but I decided to keep it as simple as possible.
HYLETE icon 6-in-1 backpack 60L – $250
As the name suggests, the icon has 6 distinct conversions: backpack, extended backpack, small duffle, large duffle, removable daypack, and messenger bag. For the person who needs a high quality bag that needs to store gym clothes, but also zip off a smaller laptop daypack, this is the perfect bag. Personally this is what I’m asking for this holiday season! If you use this link, you can get 40% off any purchase from Hylete. (they sell men’s and women’s workout apparel as well)
WOD Book – $8.99-$14.99
Most CrossFit boxes have some sort of digital workout tracking these days. But if your CrossFitter works out in a regular gym or at home, or if they are more of a paper/pen person, this is a great option to keep track of workouts. They offer different styles and versions including personal goals and nutrition tracking.
WOD Toys – $14.99-$39.99
Need a gift for the youngest CrossFitters in your life? These are fun plush and plastic toys in the shape of kettlebells and barbells.
WOD Dice – $24.95-$36.95
These are a great way to change up a workout and keep things constantly varied. You roll the dice to come up with a custom workout telling you the style of workout, sets, reps, and movements. They have different levels for experience level and would make for a fun stocking stuffer!
S’well Bottle ~$35
Apparently these bottles are the new hotness lately and come in a variety of colors and patterns. You could also go with Yeti, Hydroflask, or Klean Kanteen if you’re looking for more options.
Four Athletics Apparel – $35+
While Lululemon, Athleta, Reebok, Nike, etc. have been around as common apparel companies for CrossFitters, Four Athletics has gotten the attention of Joy and Claire of the Girls Gone WOD podcast. Four Athletics apparel is made in USA and makes high quality clothing way more affordable by selling directly to you. While their initial offerings were crowdsourced (you paid to back the product, but then had to wait for production), now they have items in stock. They have both men’s and women’s lines.
GIFT CERTIFICATES
To make things more personal and support a local business, get in touch with the owner of whatever box your giftee goes to. See if you can secretly buy them personal training sessions or apparel. Or get them a certificate from a local massage parlor – us CrossFitters can always use a good massage!
If you’re still not sure what to get that CrossFitter in your life, then get them a Rogue Fitness gift card and let them decide for themselves. They offer digital and real gift cards. I suggest Rogue because they have both gear and apparel.