The holiday season is a beautiful time, often because we get a little extra time to spend with our loved ones. But what about friends and family that are too far away to visit? We’ve built this easy, gift-giving guide to send some long-distance love!

Giving the perfect gift can be a little tricky from afar. When you’re not regularly spending time in person with friends and family, you can get a little out of touch with what they like to do in their day-to-day lives.

When choosing just the right gift for someone, take a few minutes to sit and focus on what you know about them. What are their hobbies, likes, dislikes, and what will they appreciate receiving? Would they rather receive the scarf they’ve been eyeing up or take a cooking class to learn a new skill?

We’ve rounded up our favorite gift ideas to build the ultimate holiday gift guide and categorized them so you can easily choose what would suit your loved one best!

The Ultimate Guide to Buying Presents from Afar

Holiday Gift Ideas: Staying Connected

If your loved ones are permanently living far away, here are a few gift ideas to keep you connected all year round.

Portal TV

Most people these days own smartphones, so you’re probably already familiar with video calling. With Portal TV, you can use your television screen to make video calls, meaning you’ll see your family and friends on your big screen. It’s super comfy to chat from the couch without holding your phone.

Homesick Candles

^{Photo by Alina Vilchenko from Pexels}

If your family member is far from home, send them a sweet gesture with these candles that come in scents personalized for every US state, many cities, and other countries too. They can think of their family back home as their house fills with a familiar fragrance.

Holiday Gift Ideas: Gifting an Experience

Many people value experiences over physical gifts. If your friend already has “everything they need,” expand the gift idea search into things that you think they’ll love doing instead.

Subscription Boxes

We love a good subscription box because it’s a gift that keeps giving throughout the year, a happy reminder for your friend to receive each month. There are endless types of box options, from craft beer and wine to local meats, cheese, and beauty boxes, so you’re sure to find something for anyone on your list.

Classes, Events, and Vacations

Give your friends or family members the gift of a fun experience. This one requires some extra forethought - has your friend mentioned something they enjoy or are interested in trying? Cooking, music, or dance classes are a fun learning experience, or perhaps tickets to their favorite show or game. Gifting a small staycation or portion of a future vacation is both a useful and thoughtful gesture.

^{Photo by Roberto Nickson on Unsplash}

Holiday Gift Ideas: Helpful Home Tools

These gifts are uber-helpful to those family members that have just moved away from home or in the beginning stages of life. Or, perhaps for someone who thinks gifts can be a little frivolous and enjoy receiving something they’ll be able to use regularly in their day-to-day life.

Durable Cast-Iron Kitchen Tools

A handy gift to give is an everlasting kitchen tool, like cast-iron cookware. These pieces can last well over 100 years with proper care, so this gift can also be passed down to the recipient’s children and grandchildren. If your friend or family member already has many good quality pots and pans, expand their collection with something like this cast iron tortilla press.

Robot Vacuum

I will never stop singing praises about these vacuums. They do a far better job than any handheld vacuum I’ve ever owned with the simple touch of a button. Several different models range in price, but the base models are pretty impressive if you don’t want to spend a ton. You can get some pretty great discounts if you wait for the right time to buy.

Final word: Picking the best Gifts for your family

Long-distance gift-giving doesn’t have to be hard. With a little bit of thought, you can easily find the perfect gift for your far-away family and friends.

Consider whether this person is craving connection, prizes experience over gifts, or needs some handy tools for their home so you can choose accordingly!

The best gift for anyone to receive is a thoughtful gesture from someone they love.