2018 Totally Unbiased Gift Guide
We, at Great Oaks, are very lucky to partner with ambitious entrepreneurs reimagining products and experiences for consumers across many industries. In keeping with tradition, we put together a list of products & services that are among the most exciting consumer brands we’re lucky enough to work with!
Check out the guide below and find a gift for everyone on your list!
@allbirds @eaze @rumbleboxingnyc @away @prbutcher @hicolugo @geteero @interiordefine @sugarfina @materialkitchen @hungryroot
Allbirds — The Most Comfortable Shoes in the World
You probably knew this was coming so lets get it out of the way first…
If you’ve seen me in the past two and a half years, chances are that I was wearing Allbirds. We invested in Tim Brown and Joey Zwilinger’s new company a few months before they launched Allbirds, which TIME Magazine instantly dubbed “the most comfortable shoes in the world.” The Wool Runners were an instant hit and led to new styles including the slip on Wool Loungers and Smallbirds made for kids! This past year Allbirds released a new material- “Tree,” made from Eucalyptus tree bark which have become my favorite. In addition to unprecedented comfort, Allbirds uses natural, sustainable materials in their products.
I recommend the Tree Toppers($115) or Tree Skippers ($95) for virtually anyone on your list. In addition to being the most comfortable shoes I’ve ever worn, they aren’t cluttered with logos or name brands on all sides and can be worn in almost any setting from around the house to business casual. The tree material is known for being light and breezy, in addition to the lining of Allbirds’ signature merino wool to keep you comfortable all day long!
Don’t take my word for it, learn more about what makes Allbirds special:
WSJ — Trendy Sneaker Startup Allbirds Laces Up $1.4 Billion Valuation
Eaze — Curated CBD products, shipped Nationwide
Eaze has become the largest delivery service for cannabis in California. After reaching a cult-like status in California, they recently launched Eaze Wellness. Eaze Wellness allows customers across the US to purchase curated CBD products shipped directly to their door. The rise of CBD has led to confusion and uncertainty around quality and contents of different products. With market leader Eaze offering a curated marketplace, you can shop for top producers of high quality CBD products to help with aches, pains or daily anxiety of life and work environments.
I recommend the Revive Select Vaporizer, Grapefruit ($35) for your anxious loved ones. CBD offers many benefits including relief from joint pain to anxiety relief. If you, a friend or a loved one are curious about learning more about the benefits of CBD, you can read more about it here: CBD 101.
Don’t take my word for it, learn more about Eaze & Eaze Wellness:
Fortune — Eaze Launches CBD Platform in First Expansion Outside Cali
Reuters — High tech, high finance and high times for U.S. pot industry
Rumble — Boxing Inspired Group Fitness Classes
Rumble has quickly become one of the most popular workouts in the USA. Rumble launched in early 2017 with one studio in NYC to much fanfare, followed quickly by sold out classes. We invested around the time of Rumble’s launch along with some big names like Justin Bieber, Rihanna & Arnold Schwarzenegger. Rumble is a workout of choice for many celebrities, athletes and models which adds an extra element of excitement and hype the the workout experience. Boxing has been proven to be one of the most complete workouts for your body, and uses every part of your body. Core, arms and legs are all put to the test while the music blares like a late night club, motivating you through all 10 rounds at Rumble.
I recommend the 5 Class Pack ($165) for the fitness enthusiast on your list. Rumble quickly becomes addictive as an efficient, fun and strenuous workout. Giving the fitness enthusiast 5 classes will go a long way toward starting 2019 off right and in shape at the hottest group fitness concept in the market!
Don’t take my word for it, learn more about what makes Rumble special:
PEOPLE: Rumble, the workout Kendall Jenner, Justin Bieber, David Beckham & Selena Gomez Love
Good Morning America — Inside Rumble, the new Boxing Fitness Craze
Away — Thoughtful Standards for Modern Travel
Away has forever made travel a better experience and was born out of frustration with luggage options in the market. Founders Steph Korey and Jen Rubio met while working together at Warby Parker. They started Away with travelers wants and needs in mind. After launching with carry-on and full size luggage in 2016, Away has since expanded into backpacks, day packs, weekender bags, dopp kits, garment bags, packing cubes and Away’s own Magaine! Away has quickly become one of the most popular and fastest growing consumer product companies in the market. So go ahead and get Away for virtually anyone on your list this Holiday season!
I recommend the Bigger Carry-On Aluminum Edition ($495) and/or the Backpack in Nylon ($195) for the traveler on your list. The Bigger Carry-On allows you to fit the most into your bag, without checking luggage. It comes with a built in phone charger so you’ll never run out of battery when on the go. The Backpack is thoughtfully designed and durable, perfect for travel or your daily commute. It fits perfectly onto your Away luggage to transport seamlessly. The Aluminum Edition is sure to turn heads wherever your travels take you!
***Get 10% off your Away order with code: “henryrules”***
Don’t take my word for it, learn more about what makes Away so special:
TechCrunch — Away Nears 100K Stylish Suitcases Sold, Raises $20 Million
CNN — Away Founders Changed the Luggage Industry after Travel Mishap
Porter Road — Top Quality Meat, Raised Right
Porter Road is a modern take on a staple, created by focusing on raising the highest quality product. Porter Road meat is raised without hormones or antibiotics, is grass fed and pasture raised. Chris Carter and James Peisker have built a cult following already in Nashville, TN and now they are ready to bring their Tennessee/ Kentucky raised Beef, Pork, Lamb and Chicken fresh to your doorstep.
I recommend the Holiday Half Ham Box ($146) for the meat lover on your list. The Holiday Half Ham Box will supply meat lovers with plenty of ammo to put their cooking and grilling skills to the test. The bundle comes with half of a brined and smoked pasture-raised ham along with Loose Sage Sausage, Pork Bacon, Ham Bacon, and Country Breakfast Patties. This box feeds 12–18 people!
***Get 20% off your Porter Road order with code: “bettermeat”***
Don’t take my word for it, learn more about what makes Porter Road special:
Bloomberg — Online Butchers Cater to Meat Lovers in the Age of Amazon
Forbes 30 Under 30 — James Peisker, 27, Co-Founder of Porter Road
Colugo — Products Designed for Parents on the Go
I haven’t had a child, but when researching this market it became abundantly clear that the process of evaluating & purchasing a stroller was broken for parents (including Serena).
Enter Colugo, led by Ted Iobst (a father of twins) who experienced this first-hand and set out to fix this broken process. Colugo designs beautiful, functional products for parents on the go. Taking the stress and middlemen out of the buying process. By going direct to consumer, Colugo is able to have a direct line of feedback with their customers and is able offer a much better value for their product vs. traditional products distributed by third parties.
I recommend the Perfect Bundle ($335) for the on-the-go parents on your list. The Perfect Bundle includes: the compact stroller, diaper bag, and two comfort layers, pick between colors for each to make sure it’s perfect for you. This bundles gives you everything you need to get out and about without thinking twice!
**Get $25 off your Colugo order with code: “GreatOaks”***
Don’t take my word for it, learn more about why parents love Colugo:
Eero — The Ultimate Home WiFi System
Eero is a product that is not loved only for its brand or aesthetic, but for it’s undeniable results. I saw a 6x improvement in download speed after switching from my old NETGEAR router to an eero WiFi System. Eero uses a mesh network to cover every inch of your home, and offer you the fast high-speed internet you already pay for. Whether you have ethernet installed throughout your house or just in a single room, eero can automatically mesh over Ethernet. As the only system that can leverage Ethernet wiring in any configuration, eero ensures you always get the fastest speeds and the best coverage. Eero is WiFi made for the streaming generation!
I recommend the 1 eero + 2 beacon pack ($399) for the tech oblivious on your list. Eero’s product is so easy, you don’t need to know anything to instal and operate it. It comes with a companion app to understand whats wrong and fix it. The Eero will automatically update its software about once a month. When you buy the 1 Eero Router and 2 Eero Beacons you save $99 by bundling them together!
Don’t take my word for it, learn more about what makes Eero so special:
Wall Street Journal — Eero Offers a Tool to Eliminate Wi-Fi Dead Spots
Gizmodo — Eero Wifi Brings Glorious Minimalism to Mesh Networking
Interior Define — Custom Furniture, Just for You
Interior Define has led the charge in changing the way people buy sofas and furniture in the digital age. After launching in 2014, Interior Define has scaled to millions in sales and countless happy customers with perfect custom pieces for their homes. Whether a large space or a small space, Interior Define’s customization and augmented reality app allows you to see exactly what your piece will look like in your home without the hassle of buying and returning pieces from a traditional furniture retailer. Interior Define now has showrooms in several major cities like NY, Chicago, Boston, SF & more!
I recommend the Sloan Sectional Sofa ($2100) or the Henry Corner Sectional Sofa ($2800) for the perfect apartment or house staple! Customize your sofa to your exact measurements, built just for you to ensure the perfect fit. Chose your extras and fabrics for the ultimate comfortable and beautiful piece in your living room!
Don’t take my word for it, learn more about why people love Interior Define:
House Beautiful — To Customize the Perfect Couch Use Interior Define
TechCrunch — Interior Define, Opens Their 6th Physical Store in SF
Sugarfina-Candy Concoctions from Across the Globe
Sugarfina is one of a few companies we invested in whose founders are also husband & wife. Josh Resnick & Rosie O’Neil got the idea for Sugarfina while they were dating, after they went to see Charlie and the Chocolate Factory on their second date. Since launching Sugarfina in 2012, it has grown into a candy empire with over a dozen boutiques across the U.S. & Canada. They have become famous for their collaborations with brands like Hello Kitty, Dom Pérignon, Casamigos Tequila, Pressed Juicery & Whispering Angel Rosé.
I recommend the Customizable Christmas Candy Bento Box ($64) for the sweet tooth on your list. It will allow you to customize the selection to exactly what is the best fit for the person on your list. Pick from popular Dom Pérignon Vintage Champagne Bears, Rosé All Day® Bears, Single Malt Scotch Cordials*, Pressed Juicery Green Juice Bears and Martini Olive Almonds!
*Contains alcohol
Don’t take my word for it, learn more about what makes Sugarfina so special:
Goldman Sachs — Sugarfina Founders: Builders & Innovators Summit
Fortune — Sugarfina Raises $35M to Expand Instagramable Candy Empire
Material Kitchen- Beautiful & Functionally Designed Essentials to help you Become a Kitchen Pro
I am admittedly not a particularly talented chef, but over the past few months I have gotten significantly better. This is due in no small part to Material Kitchen’s “Fundamentals” set, which I use on a daily basis for virtually everything I make in the kitchen. The knives are of truly amazing quality and are the most obvious value proposition in the set. Knives of this quality are the rest of the tools like the spatula, the tongs and the spoons offer very thoughtful functional benefits. I am getting the Fundamentals for several people on my list who have a new apartment or are in dire need of some fresh tools for their kitchen!
I recommend The Fundamentals ($175) for the aspiring chef on your list. The Fundamentals set includes seven pieces of kitchenware you’ll reach for every day, for every meal: The 8" Knife, The Almost 4" Knife, The Only Tongs, The Wood Spoon, The Metal Spoon, The Slotted Spatula &The Base. Each item serves a fundamental purpose (or two or three), and is designed down to its finest detail using high-end materials. .
Don’t take my word for it, read about what makes Material the perfect gift:
Architectural Digest- Material Wants to Stock Your Kitchen for Much Less
FastCompany- The Radical idea behind this Kitchen Brand? Selling Fewer Tools
Hungryroot- Healthy Indulgence, Delivered to You
Hungryroot is the rare companies that bridges a gap between two competing forces. Healthy ingredients and delicious food. We invested in Hungryroot Founder and CEO Ben McKean (a fellow Fenn school graduate) right around the time I started dating Laura, who happens to be Gluten Free. While I would never previously have gone out of my way to eat Gluten Free foods, Hungryroot made it easy because their food is first and foremost delicious and creative and also happens to be Gluten Free. We have a Hungryroot subscription and make sure we get our staples weekly. Those typically include desserts, breakfasts and vegetable noodles for a few dinners a week.
I recommend the Good Life ($99) for the Gluten Free foodie on your list. The Good Life will allow the recipient to choose from meals, snacks, breakfast and sweets to ensure they are getting what sounds best to them. My favorites include meals like Cheesy Butternut Squash Fries and Sweet Potato Pad Thai as well as snacks and sweets like Banana Bread Overnight Oats and Almond Chickpea Cookie Dough.
Don’t take my word for it, learn more about what makes HungryRoot special:
