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The second most common resolution in the UK this year was to exercise more.
But whether your loved one has been in the fitness game for a long time or only recently started working out, it can be hard to find a gift that isn’t a risk at best and a heavy, useless burden at worst.
My friend is still haunted by the time her aunt tried to press a pilates machine onto her studio flat-dwelling self. On the less extreme end, you likely don’t know which weights, shoes, bands, and mats they own, love, fit, and want.
If my years as a shopping writer have taught me anything, it’s this; when people have hobbies that require endless but deeply personal equipment, it’s often better to get them an upgrade for something they already use all the time than to try to work out what they might want (the same goes for beauty and cooking).
Enter: RYAN London’s personalised leather Apple watch strap, which I’ll admit made my uncouth self say “phwoar, that looks fancy” out loud.
Fitness lovers who basically see their favouoirte tracker as an extension of their arm will love the straps, which come in black, green, navy, tan, grey, dark brown, and turquoise. They’re handmade from premium leather in the company’s Greenwich studio.
If you’re feeling extra generous, you can match the strap to their iPhone cases, Macbook sleeves and wallets (all of which you can get embossed with their initals).
Because RYAN London uses full-grain leather, the strap will weather stunningly, getting more of that well-loved charm over time.
And because the material is as close as it can be to natural hide, it’s uniquely water- (and sweat-) resistant; it doesn’t run much risk of warping or creasing.
The bands are perfectly designed to seamlessly fit onto their Apple watch, and their stainless steel buckles and Apple watch connectors give them a seriously smart feel.
So there you have it ― a sleek, long-lasting present that’ll update their favourite fitness tracker without assuming much about their routine.
And even if they give up their New Year’s resolutions ― 88% of us do ― they’ll be left with a stunning, handmade gift that’ll look as good in the boardroom as it does in the gym.
