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Buying a holiday gift from a department store is not only boring, it's also inconvenient. With so much amazing technology and innovation out there, especially available locally, holiday shopping doesn't need to be either of those things. Here at Built In Colorado, we scoured the local community to find you the best, most innovative gifts, so you can feel good about spending your hard earned cash. From the dog lovers and bikers to the mountain man (or woman!), we’ve got you covered.
For the Dog Lover
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For the dog lover (which is just about everyone in Colorado), head over to Kyjen, maker of awesome dog toys, dog travel gear and even dog puzzles. Our favorites include the Hide-A-Squirrel toy ($19.99). Three plush squirrels sit inside a plush log and your dog works to get them out. It’s meant to strengthen your dog’s “natural instinct to search, stalk and capture its prey, as well as strengthening eye-paw coordination skills.” Don’t stop there though, the store has tons of cool toys, bowls and outfits for your four-legged friend.
For the Inquisitive Mind
Ok, we could have said nerd here, but the toys from Robotics are just too cool. For your loved ones who love building, creating or programming things, think about getting them the MOSS Zombonitron 1600 ($149.95 or $479.95 for the advanced kit). The 1600 kit allows users to build different types of robots (and of course play with them too). Robotics also has a kit for young kids too, called cubelets ($149.95).
For the Biker
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If your loved one doesn’t have a dog, they probably have a bike. Luckily for us, there are two amazing biking gear companies in our backyard. Love biking fast and helping charity? Check out Pactimo’s World Bicycle Relief Ascent jersey ($70). With each purchase of a jersey, Pactimo donates $25 to World Bicycle Relief, which helps communities around the world leverage the power of a bike to change lives.
The Sportsman
Need some extra padding on your bum for that bike? Grab a pair of stylish black bike shorts from Perl Izumi ($80). For the sportsman’s kid, check out this adorable onesie that reads “Born to Ride.”
For the Space Kid
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Combining exercise and learning, GeoPalz makes the coolest kid version of a pedometer we’ve ever seen. Kids choose a character inside their pedometer, called an ibitz ($34.99). The characters can explore space as long as a kid stays active. The more active they are, the farther their character can go. The device syncs wirelessly so parents can see just how active their kid is being, and encourage them with games to do more.
For the Skier
There’s nothing worse than being cold on the mountain while trying to enjoy a bit of limited outdoors time. Get the skier/snowboarder in your family a great thermal baselayer from Pagosa Springs-based Voormi ($129). It will keep them warm throughout the day and is stylish enough to wear while cozying up to a log fire.
For the 007 Gear Lover
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For the techies who have it all, get them goggles that will make skiing down the slopes feel like they are in a James Bond movie (on sale at $199 from $499). The polarized goggles provide an in-goggle viewfinder displaying all sorts of stats – run count, GPS location, speed and altitude, among others.
