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Finding thoughtful gifts for friends and family who live with diabetes can be difficult. So I created this guide!
Diabetes gifts were no more exciting than getting socks for Christmas, but now there are so many beautiful, useful or just cool diabetic products that you really want to share with you!
How to choose diabetes gift ideas to include
All the items in this guide are something I’m already owned or excited to unleash myself.
We deal with diabetes 24/7, so why not add a little more colour, technology, information and fun to make daily diabetes management a little more clinical and to make it a little more acceptable?
Whenever you update this guide, whenever you find a new product worthy of it, it is the ultimate guide to gifts for diabetics, even if you are reading it.
If you use a product I think should be included, leave a link in the comments below so you can check it out.
Think before you buy: Living with diabetes can sometimes be overwhelming, and not everyone is grateful to get a diabetes-related gift on every day about fun and family and friends. If you are in doubt, we recommend purchasing a gift that will be useful for people with diabetes without being made specifically for those with diabetes (such as foot massagers or Apple Watches).
myabetic diabetes accessories
We look at our test supplies, insulin pens, CGMs every day and carry them faithfully wherever we go.
The girls at Myabetic decided to make the experience a little less medical and ugly exploration by creating beautiful high quality (vegan leather) diabetes products that carry wallets and cases in a variety of colors.
Here is my 10 second video using my myabetic bag:
They even have options for men (may prefer a slightly less feminine case) and children, so they cover us all. I love my myabetic wallet and dexcom cases and use them every day!
You can use the code Diabetesstrong to get 15% off all Myabetic products!
Diabetes wallets and sugar medicine cases
Sugar Medical is another company that set out to create cases of diabetes and track stylish accessories.
Most of their products are made from fabric. This means that it’s fairly affordable, but the quality is still high (check out my favorites, diabetic triple zip wallets, and insulated travel bags).
You can see how I use my sugar medical bag when traveling with this short video.
Many cases and wallets come with an insulated pocket for insulin and a unique feature that is a trash can for sugar medical test strips.
A small slit in a case or wallet will hold used test strips, resulting in a small, separate compartment. That means there is no more Test Strip Cemetery at the bottom of your case or wallet.
Get 10% off on all sugar medical products using the code Diabetesstrong!
Spibelt Diabetes Accessory Belt
The Spibelt (Small Personal Item Belt) is a fanny pack specially made for people living with diabetes. Perfect for storing diabetes essentials when running, working out, or flying around. Their medical line belt also has holes for pump tubes!
I don’t wear an insulin pump, but this is my go-to belt when I run or bump into the gym and don’t have my pockets.
Even if you run like other belts do, the belt will not move or bounce. When I run (this is not very common), I use this to bring my phone, blood glucose meter, ID, glucose tab and keys.
You can purchase Spibelt on Amazon.
Medical ID Jewelry from Lauren’s Hope
I really love jewelry (who wouldn’t do that?). That’s what Lauren’s Creator of Hope is trying to do, and the results are amazing!
Worrying out certain medical alert identification is clearly a wise choice for those who live with diabetes (or who may find themselves in situations where medical assistance is needed).
This is a great gift idea for the special person in your life!
You can see my Lauren’s hoped medical ID bracelet (and my My Betic Bag) in the image below.
Medical ID Accessories from MyID
MyID takes a whole new level of medical IDs as most products feature wearable QR codes (quick response codes, very similar to barcodes). This allows easy access to medical information in digital format.
When the code is scanned to which information to include in the profile, that information will be shared with EMT or hospital staff.
MyID comes in a variety of options, including watch sleeves, bracelets, ID tags, wallet cards, stickers and more.
The most basic wearable MyID is a medical ID sleeve that can be worn on a watch. It’s my favorite because you can wear it with your favorite watch.
Visit the MyID Store to see all of our products.
Here is a video of how I wear my myid watch sleeve:
A smartwatch that runs on a continuous glucose monitor (CGM)
If you’re wearing a Dexcom CGM like me, it’s absolutely fantastic to be able to see your blood sugar readings directly on your wrist, and both Apple Watch, Fitbit and Garmin offer that solution.
Only Apple and Garmin have the official Dexcom app, but you can download an unofficial watch face to Fitbit (how to see in this YouTube video), and it works as well.
Those wearing Dexcom still need to bring their iPhones and need to be less than 6 feet from the phone for this to work.
You can read my reviews of the best smartwatches for diabetics.
Use Fitbit in the Dexcom app that appears on your home screen, as you can see here.
Most people enjoy foot massage, and for people with type 1 or type 2 diabetes, getting a foot massage can benefit blood sugar levels, increase blood circulation, and even relieve some of the symptoms of diabetic neuropathy.
So why not add a foot massage machine to your wish list? Most of the available foot massagers are small enough to be easily stored in a closet without use, and all the installation you need is to plug it into an electrical outlet.
And all you have to do is sit and enjoy a massage. It sounds like a great gift to me.
You can find the perfect model for gifts with our review of Best Foot Massager for Diabetics (or buy the Shiatsu Foot & Calf Massager, which I ranked number one in the reviews).
Lily’s chocolate
It’s been a long-standing joke that diabetic chocolate (aka sugar-free chocolate) is so bad that it’s bad to just give it to someone you don’t like.
However, that has changed in recent years, and I think Lily’s chocolate is the gold standard when it comes to sugar-free chocolate.
Lily’s offers chocolate bars, baking chocolate, chocolate covered nuts, peanut butter cups (which will make you forget about the full sugar stuff), and other candy options.
Various Lily products use a variety of sweeteners, but do not contain maltitol, maltodextrin or dextrose.
You can buy Lily’s chocolate on Amazon.
4 Alphamily insulin cooling case
4allfamily Cooler is the perfect solution to keep insulin cool on the go or in hot places (such as the beach). When I reviewed the best inslinkulers and travel cases, it was my number one choice.
We also gave a full review and demo of 4allfamily Cooler on YouTube.
It comes in a variety of sizes, from one-pen coolers to one that can easily fit into seven coolers insulin pens.
I like this little trip because this little trip is very light and keeps insulin below 16 hours. The temperature and how cold it will be depends on the temperature outside.
However, what makes 4allfamily unique is the cooler with a USB lid.
Get the portable medical refrigerator lid and convert the cooler to a mini fridge as long as it is connected to the power source. In other words, plugging in will keep insulin 36-46F (2-8C) forever.
You can purchase 4allfamily Coolers on Amazon.
Cold cooling case
Julio’s cooling case is great to keep insulin at the right temperature while traveling or just going out in the sun. With Julio’s case, you can be on the street for a longer period of time without thinking about access to the fridge.
The difference this is different from other cooling cases is that it doesn’t involve ice packs or fridges. Simply soak the pouch in water and keep the insulin at the right temperature for at least 2 days.
After two days, simply place the pouch in water and reuse, and then cool for another two days.
You can purchase Frio Cooling cases on Amazon.
Glitter for treatment gems
What I like about Shimmer in Cure Collection is that it is a combination of clean gems and diabetes perceptions.
The designers behind the collection live with diabetes and work with JDRF (Kindergarten Research Foundation).
Skyline Royal Collection is “To empower and educate people living with diabetes, convey a message of strength and resilience“, and includes necklaces, rings, earrings, scented candles, t-shirts and more.
My favorite pieces from the Skyline Royale Collection are tennis bracelets and hoop earrings, but there are plenty of other options and are reasonably priced.
You can check out their collections on their website.
Diabetes Book
Knowledge is everything when it comes to diabetes, and expanding your knowledge will only make life easier.
All of these books are written by people living with diabetes, which I admire very much and provide more insight into the complexities of diabetes, exercise, yoga and mental health.
- Think of it like Gary Shiner’s pancreas
- Phil Graham’s Guide to Diabetes Muscles and Fitness
- Adam Brown’s bright spots and mines
- Sheri Colberg’s Guide to Diabetes for Athletes
- Your Diabetes Science Experiment with Ginger Vieira
- Diabetes Yoga: How to manage your health with Yoga and Ayurveda by Rachel Zinman
You can also view this list of the 21 best diabetes books to get more ideas.
Donate to diabetic tissues
If you have everything you need and just want to help others with diabetes, asking for a donation in your name might be an option.
I have listed three organizations that work hard to help people living with diabetes through research, building community, raising awareness and fighting injustice.
If you are outside the US and prefer to maintain donations within your home country, most countries have a National Diabetes Association where you can contact and donate.
- Beyond Type 1 (BT1), there are new children on the block, founded in 2015. They have built a community for people with diabetes (check out the app), provide education and raise awareness about diabetes. All donations go directly to these programs. They also have really good information on diabetes-related subjects on their website. You can even find the fitness advice you really wrote.
- Young Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) – JDRF is a global organization that funds diabetes research. The local branch has extensive community activities, education and advocacy programs. I am personally involved with the JDRFS Los Angeles Young Leadership Committee (YLC), a small fundraising and community building group.
- American Diabetes Association (ADA) – The American Diabetes Association is the largest organization of diabetes organizations. Their mission is to prevent and treat diabetes and improve the lives of all people affected by diabetes. As well as local support, their website has all the resources associated with diabetes.
As you can see, there are plenty of great diabetes-related gifts to put on your wish list. If you missed anything, let us know in the comments below. Add to your ultimate guide to gifts for diabetics!
Happy holidays!
