The Gift of Presence: An Analogue Guide for 2026

In 2025, people embrace analogue bags and gifts like vinyl, Polaroid cameras, Paper Republic journals, National Park passes, magazines, Loewe candles, picnic blankets, and alarm clocks.

2025 was very much about realizing the hold the digital world engulfs us in and how, well, absolutely futile it can feel. We are now at a point in time where people are very consciously choosing to do things other than doomscrolling before bed or on the metro. A new trend has emerged with many choosing to carry an “analogue bag”, packed with portable activities like books, crossword puzzles, watercolours or crocheting. People who have partaken in the trend, say that it’s part of a wider effort to use technology more consciously.      

As the New Year sweeps in, here is a list of presents for your loved ones who are enviably choosing to rage against the machine.

1. Vinyl and CDs

It probably seems a bit strange, considering all of the free streaming platforms available to us, but vinyl and CDs are making a phenomenally brilliant comeback. Whether it is bars that play music only on records (see, Genre in Delhi) or the growing number of people expanding their private collections, most people truly treasure their favorite album on CD or vinyl. Whether the artist is The Lumineers or Mohammed Rafi, almost all of them are available in the form of a vinyl.

2. Polaroid Cameras

Fujifilm’s Instax makes holding tangible photos of yourself, your people, or moments you want to store in your heart forever so much more possible. As the antithesis of the iPhone Pro camera, the Instax does not offer 4K clarity; instead, it offers the chemical magic of a single, uneditable moment. Newer models allow you to print photos from your phone, while other models offer tactile dial controls for light and color effects, giving the user physical agency. It will always feel lovely to use a polaroid photograph of a joyful moment as a bookmark, or keep a photo of someone you love in your wallet.

3. Paper Republic Journal

There is something rather luxurious about owning a journal, and writing in one serves as the perfect antidote to being on one’s phone. The Paper Republic grand voyageur journal aims to be a companion for the long haul. Its leather cover ages beautifully with time, adding character, and one can emboss the journal with a name and refill it with stacks of Austrian paper as each notebook is completed.

4. National Park Annual Pass

Valid for twelve months and primarily used in the USA, these passes serve as the ultimate “I really hope you lose your phone signal” gift. If one can visit national parks unlimited times a year, the only thing they really track is the horizon — along with the local plants and animals. It promises silence and a deep, wandering focus that occurs only when you navigate the world with a paper map instead of the blue dot on your phone. True serenity and deep awe of the world can be found here.  

5. A Yearly Subscription to a Favorite Magazine

Whether they are into science, history, nature, or culture, National Geographic is a safe bet. For those particularly obsessive about fashion, beauty, and lifestyle, consider Vogue or Cosmopolitan. For those with an artsy side, Dazed is phenomenal. If they want to rifle through pages as they dream of their next holiday destinations, Outlook Traveller is the choice. There is a magazine that fits perfectly for everyone.

6. Loewe Scented Candles

Scent is one of the most primal experiences you can have. Loewe provides handcrafted terracotta vessels that are irresistible to run your fingers over. The scents — think oregano, honeysuckle, ivy, and beetroot — are raw and atmospheric, filling the room with a fragrance no digital experience can touch. Once the candle burns out, the vessel remains, a gorgeous ceramic reminder of a life eroded slowly.

7. Picnic Blanket

One thing that has stood the test of time since the beginning of human existence is eating outdoors. The forms have evolved, but since the 1800s, one of the loveliest things you can do is gather a group of your favorite people, bask in the glory of the outdoors, and share a bottle of wine, some sandwiches, and a few “guilty” crisps. What holds the picnic together? A gorgeous, personalised picnic blanket. You can have their initials stitched onto the side.  

8. Alarm Clock

It sounds fairly dull and perhaps too practical to be a present, but if you are looking to sever ties with your phone in the bedroom, an alarm clock is the perfect gift. Standalone alarm clocks come with features that make going to sleep and waking up less painful — some simulate the sunrise, while some project the time onto the wall. It is all about finding the physical ritual that works for you.