SOLIDWORKS Holiday Gift Guide

The holiday season can be extremely stressful. Researching, finding and buying the right gifts for your family, friends and others can be tough and fraught with stress. Add to that the fact that shopping centers are continually overcrowded with other panicked, hurried shoppers and the entire process can seem overwhelming.

Don’t let the crazy Christmas crunch give you the holiday blues. We’re going to make the whole process a bit easier by compiling a list of 3D design-inspired gifts—all of which were designed in SOLIDWORKS—that will make your gift recipients jump for joy.

Here’s a very select sampling of gifts that will make you a hit this holiday season.

For those outdoorsy, adventure-seeking folks on your list, check out the Grayl Portable Water Filtration Cup that will keep them hydrated with clean, fresh water, whether they are traveling across town or around the globe. The Tap filter removes chemicals and heavy metals, the Trail filter adds protection from bacteria, and the Travel Purifier provides the highest level of defense against viruses while traveling in developing countries.

The Parrot Rolling Spider will impress even the biggest technophile on your list. This ultra-compact drone, controlled by smartphone, flies indoors and outdoors with surprising speed and stability. Learn how to pilot via the FreeFlight 3 app, which can be downloaded for free on iOS, Android, and on Windows 8.1 and Windows Phone 8.1.

For the Speed Demons on your list, the new EcoVolt NG electric go-kart tops out at 40 mph and goes from 0-35mph in a blazing six seconds. This is not your typical amusement park kart and is probably as close to Mario Kart as you’re going to get. Using SOLIDWORKS to model its components, the EcoVolt NG offers a new electronics system featuring brushless motor, active balancing Battery Management System and lithium-ion (LFP) batteries.

Gift your loved ones with a smarter, more connected home. Smart Things app and Hub can instantly connect to different sensors, locks, light switches, outlets, thermostats, and other compatible “smart” devices in your home. These devices can then communicate with you and each other to offer better home security, peace of mind, and limitless possibilities.

For on-the-go music lovers, check out the MINIRIG portable speaker. Designed using SOLIDWORKS Plastics, the MINIRIG delivers incredible sound whether you’re walking in a winter wonderland or taking in a tropical holiday. MINIRIG is easy to take anywhere, it has a powerful big-rig inspired 15-watt sound with one of the longest battery lives on the market—a whopping 50 hours per charge.

For those little girls on your list who dream of becoming an engineer—not a teacher or nurse—check out GoldieBlox. Designed to tap into girls’ strong verbal skills, these story + construction sets bolster confidence in spatial skills while giving young inventors the tools they need to build and create amazing things.

Though not available yet, get your loved ones on the preorder list—and save $50—for the Coolest Cooler. Launched via Kickstarter, this cooler features an 18-volt, battery-powered rechargeable blender, 5-watt Bluetooth speakers, a USB charger, an LED lid light, locking gear tie-down, a divider/cutting board, and extra wide, easy rolling wheels. When it’s time to party, this cooler parties hard.

The saying “big things come in small packages” definitely rings true when talking about the 686 S2 from Bowers & Wilkins. This pint-sized speaker delivers impressive power and precision, thanks to a Decoupled Double Dome aluminum tweeter, it’s perfect as a bookshelf or wall-mounted speaker.

Is there someone on your list who loves to entertain? Then check out Tray Bien, another Kickstarter-born product designed by Dartmouth engineering students. The truly inspired design features slots that enable stemware of many different sizes to slide in and out—without any chance of spilling. Multiple fist-grip slots account for different forearm lengths. It’s lightweight, dishwasher-safe and made in the USA.

Of course the holiday gift to give your professional work is SOLIDWORKS 2015. With more than 200 new enhancements with 90 percent of functionality directly resulting from customer feedback, this is the release you asked for. You’ve been good this year – you should treat yourself. Click the banner to explore what’s new.