20 great holiday gifts for college students
Need ideas for holiday gifts for college students?
To get some ideas, we asked them what they hoped Santa would bring this year. Some of the presents that made the list might surprise you.
In no particular order, here are 20 great ideas that include many inexpensive gifts:
1. Home projector for TV and movies. With a portable projector ($85) and a wall-mounted projection screen ($45), students who are less interested in a owning TV can see the shows and movies that they usually watch on their laptops projected on a big screen.
2. Cards Against Humanity ($25). This hilarious, satirical and raunchy party game is wildly popular. You can also download it for free on Cards Against Humanity's website and print out your own cards.
3. Airplants. These super-cute, trendy plants survive on air -- do not plant them in soil -- and can be perched anywhere to decorate a dorm room. (Many are under $10).
4. Handcrafted sunglasses. SOLO Eyewear makes its trendy sunglasses ($95) out of recycled bamboo, and each pair you purchase provides eye care for poor people, including prescription glasses and eye-saving surgeries. The company has restored vision to 6,540 people around the world.
5. Mini wardrobe. Stitch Fix, which offers gifts cards, will send a box of five handpicked, trendy clothing items that a personal stylist will select after the gift recipient fills out her style profile. You keep what you like and send the rest back in a prepaid envelope ($150 - $180).
6. Wireless bluetooth speakers. Students can use these speakers for movies, music and games played on all sorts of popular devices including smartphones, computers and tablets. Two suggestions with different price points: DKnight Magicbox ($30) and Bose SoundLink Mini Bluetooth Speaker ($199).
7. Homemade soda maker. With the SodaStream starter kit you can make your own soda at home, eliminating the need for soda cans ($59).
8. Google Chromecast. ($32) Once you plug this device into your TV, you can watch Internet shows from Netflix, Hulu Plus and YouTube. Roku 3 is a better streaming box with more channels, but it's also pricier ($85).
9. Extra battery life. The Mophie Powerstation ($80) is a portable charger that gives you hours of extra battery life for iPhones, iPads and DROIDs.
10. Good reads. Rosie Project is an amusing best seller that focuses on a genetics professor and a waitress that's definitely not your typical love story. Not That Kind of Girl: A Young Woman Tells You What She's "Learned" is written by Lena Dunham, star of the HBO series Girls. Redeployment takes readers to the front lines in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.
11. Funky yoga mats. Ditch the boring ones. How about an elephant of Namibia yoga mat, a blue flame mat or coral blossom mat? All $58. Or try a personalized yoga mat decorated with three large photos that you upload when ordering (also $58).
12. Camera/video recorder. Sometimes you don't want to take pictures or video with a cell phone. The GoPro Hero3 ($200) produces professional quality video, is Wi-Fi compatible and waterproof.
13. Tea things. The Therm-0 Tea/Water Thermo ($29) is a sleek double-paned glass thermos to keep your tea hot or cold when you're on the go. And here's some fancy cinnamon spice tea ($14) from Harney & Sons.
14. Ear buds. What's special about these Zipbuds ($25)is that they never tangle. For someone looking for fancy headphones, check out these out from Beats ($200).
15. Spotify membership. This digital music service provides members with access to millions of songs that they can stream or download. ($10 a month).
16. Gift cards. Sure, that sounds boring, but they are appreciated, especially cards for grocery stores, big-box stores, restaurants and gas stations.
17. Stylish messenger bags/backpacks. Herschel makes popular backpacks that come in lots of fun colors and patterns. ($40 - $65). Another great choice are made-to-order messenger bags from Timbuk2, which are sown in San Francisco ($75+).
18. Keurig coffee maker. This wildly popular coffee maker ($65) produces one cup of coffee at a time. You need to buy the coffee maker and the K-cups that contain a mini scoop of coffee. You might also want to spring for the K-cup storage drawer ($17).
19. Plane ticket. Give an IOU good for any plane ride for the student on your holiday list to visit a college friend in another part of the country. (You may want to set a limit for the value of this one.)
20. High-speed blender. The NutriBullet ($89) is handy for college students who want to make their own smoothies.
