Greetings from TechCrunch’s 2020 Holiday Gift Guide! Are you looking for assistance with selecting the perfect gifts? We are available to assist you! You can access our additional gift guides in this location.

UNEXPECTEDLY! It is currently December 23rd. But how did that happen? The perception of time has become distorted, and what felt like last week now seems like a month ago, while April feels as though it occurred only yesterday.

Procrastinating on gift shopping is generally an unpleasant experience, but this year presents unique challenges. It is imperative that individuals do not compromise their social distancing protocols simply to navigate crowded stores for a potentially used appliance. Furthermore, online vendors have been issuing warnings about potential shipping slowdowns since well before the beginning of December.

Thankfully, subscription boxes and services offer a viable solution. They are simple to purchase even at the eleventh hour, convenient to deliver remotely, and provide extended enjoyment over a period of weeks and months.

Searching for suggestions? Here are a few ideas to consider:

For the puzzle/escape room enthusiast: Hunt A Killer

A (make-believe) crime has occurred!

A detective has reached out for your assistance, and it’s up to you to identify the perpetrator by carefully analyzing the evidence. Every month delivers a new segment of the narrative through a package containing various puzzles, authentic-looking newspaper articles, audio files, physical objects, and other investigative leads that will guide you toward solving the mystery.

I have personally experienced several of these game sets with family members, and we all found them to be a highly engaging way to immerse ourselves in a fictional storyline for a few hours. The experience is structured so that each installment requires no more than one or two hours to complete, allowing you to easily resume the investigation whenever you have free time. Furthermore, you have the option to receive the next month’s box sooner if you prefer not to wait.

Price: Costs differ, however, a six-month prepaid plan provides a complete game for approximately $165.

For the crafters and scrapbookers: Pipsticks

Do you know someone who still cherishes stickers from their youth? Pipsticks delivers a curated selection of high-quality stickers to them on a monthly basis. They offer a “Kids Club” subscription designed with children in mind, and a “Pro Club” package for those who want to enhance their sticker supplies for journaling, scrapbooking, or other creative projects.

Price: Beginning at $12 monthly

For the dog owners: Barkbox

It’s enjoyable to pamper your canine companion. Barkbox delivers a regular supply of both goodies and playthings, all organized around a unique monthly concept, such as “Dogsgiving” during November or “Lick or Treat” in October. The boxes are customized to fit the dog’s size, and a more premium “Super Chewer” option is available, featuring exceptionally resilient items for dogs known to quickly destroy their toys.

Price: Beginning at $23 monthly

For the highly caffeinated: Coffee subscriptions

The realm of coffee offers a vast array of choices, yet it’s remarkably simple to repeatedly select a visually appealing package and remain loyal to that single brand indefinitely. Do you know someone who has consistently purchased the same container of coffee for a decade? Inspire them to discover new varieties!

Numerous coffee subscription services are available, and our team personally recommends and affirms the quality of these options: YesPlz, Trade Coffee, Mistobox, Red Bay Coffee and Angel’s Cup.

Price: Varies

For the one who wants to read more: Book of the Month

A curated selection of books is provided, and you get to choose which ones you enjoy. Every month, you can select from a diverse range of five different genres, delivered directly to your home. If you’re busy and haven’t completed your previous read, or if the current monthly choices don’t appeal to you, skipping a month is a simple process.

Price: Begins at $50 for a three-month book subscription

For the New Baby (and Their Family): Lovevery Play Kits

Searching for the ideal gift for new parents? Lovevery reimagines the subscription box model, delivering age-appropriate items on a monthly basis throughout a child’s earliest years. For instance, the initial box designed for newborns emphasizes items with strong visual contrast and tools to enhance tummy time. Subsequent boxes introduce playthings that foster the development of more refined motor abilities, such as stacking and grasping skills. They also provide options geared towards toddlers, helping them learn fundamental skills like rhyming, matching, and basic counting. While the cost per box is relatively high, the company prioritizes both environmental sustainability and product safety.

Price: Approximately $80 per box

For the TechCrunch reader: Extra Crunch

Allow us a quick announcement! Extra Crunch represents our membership offering, enabling us to provide in-depth coverage of subjects such as talent acquisition, company development, and selecting appropriate investors. We frequently present Extra Crunch Live events, featuring discussions with leading figures in the industry and opportunities for audience participation, and our EC-1 series delivers unique insights into the establishment and approaches of rapidly expanding businesses. A gifting feature has recently been added – you can find more details here!

Price: $75 annually

For the one with good handwriting: Maido in a Box

Although my own penmanship leaves much to be desired, I still greatly appreciate a quality writing instrument. Maido is a shop I particularly enjoyed visiting – before recent circumstances changed that – and it consistently impressed me. This store, which is operated by the Japanese bookstore company Kinokuniya, presents a thoughtfully selected assortment of pens and stationery that is comprehensive yet manageable.

Due to the current limitations on casual browsing in retail locations, Maido has begun offering monthly subscription boxes that deliver their top products directly to customers. I have purchased several of these boxes, and each one has been exceptionally pleasing. This is an ideal gift for anyone who has ever enthusiastically discussed their preferred pen.

Price: $35

For the aspiring plant enthusiast: Succulent Studios

I have a great fondness for plants, but unfortunately, I often struggle to keep them alive. I recently achieved a personal best by successfully growing four grape tomatoes before the plant unfortunately toppled over and perished. It left me wondering what to do with such a small harvest!

Consequently, our home and garden now feature a wide variety of succulents—they are visually appealing and, fortunately, quite resilient. Many of our succulents have been sourced from Succulent Studio, a company that excels at curating unique plants (often with creative names like Lime Sparkler and Superbum) and ensuring their safe delivery. Should a plant arrive damaged during shipping, they provide guidance on how to restore it, and if that isn’t possible, they will send a replacement.

Price: $16.50 per month for two plants

For wine enthusiasts: EVEN MORE WINE

Similar to coffee, the world of wine offers a vast selection to explore, and numerous services are available to facilitate your tasting journey. Selecting the best options can be challenging, but several providers have established strong reputations. Winc utilizes a questionnaire designed to assess your preferences and suggest suitable pairings. Cellars Wine Club allows you to choose a specific focus for your selections, such as imported wines, sweeter varieties, sparkling wines, or exclusively red wines. Vinebox delivers single-serving wine portions in small, vial-like containers, offering a low-commitment way to sample different options. Darrell Etherington of TechCrunch recommends Gargoyle Wine Club, though it’s important to note that shipping is currently limited to Canada.

Price: Costs differ depending on the service, but typically range from $60 to $80 per shipment.

For the traveler who can’t travel right now: Try the World

A highlight of travel for many is discovering local grocery stores and sampling the unique regional products – the snacks, sweets, and other treats not typically found back home. This type of discovery has been challenging in 2020, as many people have remained within their own state throughout the year.

Try the World addresses this by delivering those international delicacies directly to your home. Past boxes have included popular regional hot sauces, teas, spices, mustards, and a variety of other items. A potential drawback is that replenishing a favorite item after finishing the box can sometimes prove difficult.

Price: Begins at $40 per month

For the stylish man: Gentleman’s Box

This description was prepared by our Editorial Director, Henry Pickavet, and I can attest that he consistently exhibits a higher standard of dress than myself.

Cost: The price varies based on your selection, ranging from $35 to over $100 per box.

For the gamer: An all-you-can-play service tailored to their preferred platform

Instead of a single game, consider providing access to a vast library of titles. Many leading gaming companies now offer on-demand game services similar to streaming platforms, and these services are remarkably comprehensive. Sony’s PS Now features games like Horizon Zero Dawn, Hollow Knight, and the God of War franchise for those who haven’t yet experienced them, while Microsoft’s Xbox Game Pass includes titles such as Gears 5, MotoGP 20, and Celeste! Apple has also entered this market with Apple Arcade – a noteworthy game to explore there is Beyond a Steel Sky, which was highly regarded in 2020.

Price: Both PS Now and Xbox Game Pass are available for $10 monthly (with potential savings through prepaid options), and Apple Arcade costs $5 per month.