One minute, it’s Christmas, then the new year rolls around, and before you know it, Valentine’s Day has arrived. If it’s sneaked up on you this year, you might be looking for a last-minute Valentine’s gift.
Last-minute doesn’t have to mean thoughtless, and you don’t have to resort to grocery store flowers. You can find plenty of great gifts with fast shipping to make your significant other happy this Valentine’s Day, whatever their interests.
What to consider when choosing a Valentine’s Day gift
It’s not just getting your hands on a gift before Valentine’s Day you need to worry about, it’s choosing the right one. Just because it’s Valentine’s Day, it doesn’t mean the gift has to be heart-shaped or flowery. In fact, these types of gifts are more likely to be promptly discarded.
Think about the following to help pick the perfect present for your loved one:
- Interests: Start by thinking about your partner’s interests when picking a gift. It might seem obvious, but it’s too often overlooked, especially when stressing about buying gifts at the last minute. If they love games, for instance, a new board game would be a better gift than a bunch of roses.
- Style: When buying clothing, jewelry or homewares, think carefully about the recipient’s sense of style. Someone who loves industrial interior design will balk at a “Live, laugh, love” sign, while someone with a preppy sense of style won’t want a pair of Doc Martens.
- Consumables: When buying for that person who has everything, consumables are a safe bet. This doesn’t just mean food and drink, but anything that gets used up and needs replacing, such as skin care products, bath salts and even guitar picks.
- Price range: Consider your budget, whether you have $10 to spend or over $100. You don’t have to spend a fortune to show your loved one you care. Any gift bought with thought and attention is bound to go down well, whatever your budget.
Best last-minute Valentine’s Day gifts
Fujifilm Instax Mini 11 Instant Camera
The Fujifilm Instax Mini 11 is perfect for taking cute snaps of you and your partner together and is a great gift for a keen photographer who might want to have fun with instant photos. It prints 2- by 3-inch photos on sticker paper.
Tea Forte Tea Chest with 40 Handcrafted Pyramid Tea Infusers
Perfect for tea lovers, this set contains 40 tea bag infusers with 20 varieties of tea to sample, in various flavors. They come in a wooden box that’s great for storage and makes the gift look even more special.
Bose SoundLink Flex Bluetooth Portable Speaker
This Bluetooth speaker will make it easier for your valentine to listen to their favorite music anywhere in the home or out and about. It has the sound quality you’d expect from Bose in a compact package, with an impressive 12-hour battery life.
If you’re buying for someone who doesn’t function before their first coffee of the day, they might appreciate this pod coffee maker that produces a brew in just a couple of minutes. It’s extremely simple to use, takes up minimal counter space and can make cups of coffee between 6 and 12 ounces.
Fjallraven Kanken Classic Backpack
With its iconic design, this backpack has become a fashion statement in recent years, so if your loved one has been coveting one, now might be the time to buy one. There’s something for everyone, with more than 30 colors and color combinations, including fog, peach pink and warm yellow with rainbow straps.
For the casual gamer in your life, a Nintendo Switch is a perfect choice, with a wide range of games available, but many geared to multiplayer fun. This model has a larger, upgraded OLED screen in handheld mode but can also be connected to a TV.
A great choice for music lovers, these wireless earbuds produce crisp, clear sound and easily pair with any Bluetooth-compatible devices. The built-in microphones are ideal for taking and making calls.
If your partner loves to cook or has a sweet tooth, this mini waffle maker is a great choice. It makes adorable heart-shaped waffles, which is a cute nod to Valentine’s Day.
Ember Temperature Control Smart Mug
Does your partner often complain about not getting to drink all of their coffee or tea before it goes cold? This temperature-control mug keeps hot beverages at their optimal temperature for up to 80 minutes and pairs with an app to easily set temperature preferences.
Prices listed reflect time and date of publication and are subject to change.
Check out our Daily Deals for the best products at the best prices and sign up here to receive the BestReviews weekly newsletter full of shopping inspo and sales.
BestReviews spends thousands of hours researching, analyzing and testing products to recommend the best picks for most consumers. BestReviews and its newspaper partners may earn a commission if you purchase a product through one of our links.