Under the Radar’s 2020 Holiday Gift Guide Part 8: Apparel, Technology, and More
Gifts for Fans of Wonder Woman, Baby Yoda, Nirvana, and The Breakfast Club
Dec 24, 2020
Holiday Gift Guide 2020
For the eighth installment of our 2020 Holiday Gift Guide we present a smorgasbord of present ideas. There’s a little bit of apparel (some themed Christmas sweaters), a couple of tech items, some household items, a few amusing pins, and more.
Also check out the other parts of our 2020 Holiday Gift Guide: Part 1 on video games, Part 2 on drinking, Part 3 on table top and board games, Part 4 on collectibles, Part 5 on toys, Part 6 on books and graphic novels, and Part 7 on Blu-rays and DVDs (which was split into part one and part two).
Liberate Air Truly Wireless Earphones (House of Marley)
RRP: $149.99
When you buy any House of Marley product some proceeds go to Project Marley, which helps support reforestry and to date have planted 223,000 trees. The company’s Liberate Air Truly Wireless Earphones are made from sustainable materials including bamboo and recycled silicone and fabric. On their own they carry a 9-hour charge, but when placed in their carrying case they can have an additional 32 hours of charge, provided the case is fully charged up (the case comes with a USB cable for charging). The Liberate Air are sweat-proof and splash resistant, making the Bluetooth earphones perfect for exercising. And did we mention that the sound quality is excellent? In short, they are excellent stylish earphones and purchases also benefit the planet. By Mark Redfern (Buy it here.)
Disney Princess Vívofit Jr. 3 (Garmin)
RRP: $79.99
You’re never too young to embrace good fitness habits. Of course for most kids it’s easy to get outside and run around with their friends. It’s when we become adults that it becomes more challenging to find the time to get exercise. Garmin’s fitness trackers help many adults stick to it and with the Vívofit Jr. 3 kids can get in on the fun too. Their Disney Princess line is themed to different characters (the one we were sent featured Ariel from The Little Mermaid). When paired with the app, the fitness watch also unlocks games and adventures. It can even help with tracking and rewarding chores being completed. The Vívofit Jr. 3 also has a useful “In Case of Emergency” widget that contains emergency contact information in case your child gets lost. Other variations include Moana, Rapunzel, and Belle. There are also Marvel versions featuring Black Panther, Iron Man, and others. By Mark Redfern (Buy it here.)
Official Star Wars The Mandalorian The Child / Baby Yoda Christmas Jumper / Ugly Sweater (Geek Store)
RRP: $34.99
It’s amusing that Baby Yoda has become such a cultural phenomenon this year. When Jon Favreau created The Mandalorian did he have an inkling that the character would cause such a stir? Of course, he’s never referred to as Baby Yoda on the show and he’s not even a baby version of Yoda, who is dead by the time the show takes place (which is after the events of Return of the Jedi). Instead he has mainly been officially known as The Child before his real name was revealed to be Grogu later in season two. And he is of the same species as Yoda and is also strong with the Force, but it has never been revealed if he’s actually related to Yoda. Very little is known of the species and prior to Grogu, the only other creature of Yoda’s species we’ve seen was Yaddle, a female member of the Jedi Council in Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace.
Regardless of his origins or what you call him, Grogu sure is cute and has entranced legions of kids (and adults) the world over, even ones who probably aren’t old enough yet to be watching The Mandalorian. As part of their impressive range of Christmas sweaters, The Geek Store have one featuring Baby Yoda. He is in his floating pod/crib, but surrounded by snowflakes and with Mandalorian helmets lining the bottom of the sweater. It was designed and engineered by Numskull Designs and is 100% knitted, not printed. And it’s available in a multitude of sizes, ranging from 2XS to 4XL, meaning it could probably fit any creature from Yoda to Chewbacca. By Mark Redfern (Buy it here.)
Official Star Trek ‘Beam Me Up, Santa!’ Christmas Jumper / Ugly Sweater (Geek Store)
RRP: $29.99
Ugly Christmas sweaters have been all the rage in recent years and there’s definitely been a market for geek-friendly ones. And what’s more wonderfully geeky than Star Trek? Geek Store have you covered with this truly amazing jumper that takes you to the final frontier of questionable taste. It features Kirk and Spock as they appeared in the original 1960s series, with Spock doing his friendly “Live long and prosper” hand gesture. Above them orbits the Starship Enterprise and above that is Santa in his sleigh being pulled by his reindeer, as well as various planets and stars. The bottom of the sweater features the direct message “Beam me up, Santa!” What festive Trekkie wouldn’t want this gift? Live long and stay warm! By Mark Redfern (Buy it here.)
Wonder Woman Dark Blue Adult Ugly Christmas Sweater (Fun.com)
RRP: $39.99
The Geek Store aren’t the only ones getting in on nerdy Christmas sweaters, for several years now Fun.com have had a whole section of their website devoted to their exclusive Ugly Christmas sweaters. Some they have available feature characters from Deadpool, Gremlins, Fraggle Rock, Alf, Rainbow Brite, Sailor Moon, The Flash, Toy Story, The Incredibles, Star Wars, and more. In honor of Wonder Woman 1984, which is now actually coming out in theaters and on HBO Max on Christmas Day, we picked this Wonder Woman Ugly Christmas Sweater. But if bound by the lasso of truth we would admit that it’s actually not really all that ugly, it’s rather pleasing to the eye, featuring the Wonder Woman symbol and some stars and stripes, but in fairly muted colors. So we’ll call this one a Stylish Christmas Sweater instead. By Mark Redfern (Buy it here.)
Mini BRB - Wonder Woman 1984 (JuJuBe)
RRP: $40.00
As its title suggests, Wonder Woman 1984 takes place in the 1980s, in between the World War I set events of Wonder Woman and the character’s modern adventures in Batman v Superman and Justice League. JuJuBe, who are known as a diaper bag company, have a line of Wonder Woman 1984 bags that fully embrace the bright colors of the decade, playing off the colorful background featured on the film’s posters. Yes, they sell a Wonder Woman 1984 diaper bag, but there are many other options as well, including a purse, full size backpack, and, befitting the fact that Steve Trevor (played by Chris Pine) wears one in the movie, a fanny pack. We were sent the Mini BRB, which is a tiny backpack (5.5-inches width x 7-inches height x 3-inches depth) that would be ideal for holding your phone and keys when you’re on the run (from super villains or in between errands). The interior features the Wonder Woman symbol set against white and the zippers are gold, like her lasso. By Mark Redfern (Buy it here.)
Enamel Pins by Tom Whalen (Mondo)
RRP: $7.00-$10.00
Mondo might be known for their wonderful posters, collectibles, and soundtrack vinyl reissues, but they also produce a lot of wonderful and affordable enamel pins for you to wear and subtly show off your geek pride. Many of them are designed by Tom Whalen. We were sent his pins for Golden Age Batman and The Joker, The Iron Giant, and everyone’s favorite superhero pig, Spider-Ham. Also available are various members of the Fantastic Four, characters from Toy Story 4, several Transformers, other Marvel character from the Avengers and X-Men, some Godzilla monsters, and more. By Mark Redfern (Buy it here.)
The Breakfast Club – Allison + Claire Pin Set (Mondo)
RRP: $16.00
Another artist who designs great pins for Mondo goes by the name of 100% Soft. 100% Soft has done some new pins inspired by the films of John Hughes. We were sent a set featuring outcast Allison (Ally Sheedy) and popular girl Claire (Molly Ringwald) from The Breakfast Club. Also currently available is a set featuring Bender and Assistant Principal Vernon from The Breakfast Club and one with Iona and Steff from Pretty in Pink. Any would make a nice gift for your Generation X friend who grew up attending the church of Hughes. By Mark Redfern (Buy it here.)
LastSwab, LastTissue, and LastRound (Last Object)
RRP: $14.00 (LastRound), $12.00 (LastSwab), $24.00 (LastTissue)
Trillions of single-use products are thrown away every year, which inevitably end up in our oceans and water systems causing damage to our one and only planet Earth. LastObject has a solution: The LastSwab, LastTissue, and LastRound. These reusable and sustainable items can simply be washed with soap and water and used again, thousands of times! The LastTissue even comes with it’s own mesh washing bag. This small change could mean the world. Literally. By Wendy Lynch Redfern (Buy your LastRound here. Buy your LastSwab here. Buy your LastTissue here.)
Nirvana Metal Coaster Set w/ Cork Backs in Tin Gift Box (Icon!c Concepts/Fun.com)
RRP: $14.99
Smells like a teen coffee stain? Every responsible adult needs coasters. But they don’t have to be boring and predictable floral patterns and the like. We can have rock ‘n’ roll coasters. We can even have grunge coasters. Yes, we can Nirvana coasters featuring the cover art from their 1993 album In Utero. The metal coasters have cork backs and come in a tin gift box featuring six coasters. Come as you are, for sure, but don’t leave a ring on my table! By Mark Redfern (Buy it here.)
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