Reddit mentions of Contigo Autoseal Chill 24 OZ W, SS Monaco

My hubby and I were both doing our PhDs at the same time at one point so I totally get the having no life thing. :D

• Along the lines of the pocket knife, you can search for items like "everyday carry" or "EDC" items -- this includes flashlights, pocket knives, tactical pens, etc. PhD STEM types tend to like practical things. I've found some cool stuff for my hubs this way.
  
• Another thing is one of these books: http://phdcomics.com/store/ -- they are collections of comic strips but they're hilarious and super relatable to graduate school. They used to release a calendar every year but looks like they stopped. :(
  
• Other non-conventional gifts to consider based on the fact that he's in graduate school and has no time on his hands...
  
  • Buy a pack of these disposable takeout containers and make frozen pre-prepared meals for him. If he's spending THAT much time in the lab, chances are he isn't eating as great as he should be. I cannot tell you enough how much this would've been appreciated by either of us while we were in graduate school. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0742M47V5/
    
  • Depending on your geolocation, there are some services that come pick up your laundry on a specific day of the week, do your laundry for you, and then return it, folded, and everything (Wash & Fold services). For reference to what I am talking about, it's similar to this company: https://www.rinse.com/ If you're near a university, there's an increased chance of you having these services nearby. If you got him something like a couple months of this service, it's another thing that is a hassle to keep up with when you're super busy with work but one of those things that has to get done either way.
    
  • Depending on his eating habits, a grubhub (or similar) gift cert could be good if he orders takeout for either lunches or dinners during the week. https://www.grubhub.com/
    
  • Spotify or Pandora subscription -- depends on if he enjoys music and what kind of lab he is in (i.e., whether he can play music while working). If he does enjoy music, another option is wireless headphones.
    
  • Does he drink tea or coffee? There are lots of nerdy mugs out there and you can pair that with some a nice tea assortment or coffee blend. If he does drink it but doesn't tend to make it himself, is there a coffee shop nearby to campus that offer gift certs?
    
  • If he's working in a wet lab, chances are he can't bring beverages inside with him -- so you might consider a nice new water bottle (https://www.amazon.com/Contigo-AUTOSEAL-Stainless-Bottle-Monaco/dp/B01N7LKY1F/) or a rugged travel mug (https://www.amazon.com/Contigo-AUTOSEAL-Stainless-Steel-Travel/dp/B00HZI5XNO/). The autosealing (hot and cold) ones by Contigo are very popular because they can be used on the go without worrying about leaking. If you have to leave your mug outside of the lab if you don't finish your coffee, you most likely want something that's also covered too.
    
  • If he writes or takes notes a lot, don't underestimate the power of a really nice pen. Super useful and randomly just brings great joy to us grad school folks. :D

This is the one I have and it’s so worth it, I fill it to the top with ice and then just refill the water all day and it keeps it so cold, alllllll the vasoconstriction it’s awesome

I don't have one, but I have a similar insulated stainless steel contigo bottle that has been great. A bit cheaper and the autoseal lock button thing works brilliantly. $10 cheaper depending on color.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01N7LKY1F/ref=mp_s_a_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1522149577&sr=8-5&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=Contigo+stainless

I stumbeled upon my the Contigo Autoseal Water Bottle on clearance at Target one day and now have 4 of them, one for work desk, work car, personal car and home. It's my go to spill proof water bottle. The thing that makes it amazing for me is that you don't need an extra hand to open it or coordination to close it as I'm often driving, but would be perfect while trying to wrangle kids.. It just has a button you push while you're drinking. There is an optional flip lid as well. Only down side is it's not see through so hard to measure how much you've drank.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N7LKY1F/ref=twister_B0792RTW42?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

edit: spelling

I struggled finding a good water bottle/solution. Every bottle I tried was too small, or they leaked, and the water ALWAYS tasted like plastic or rubber, even if they swore it wouldn't or it was BPA-free, etc.

Then I got a stainless steel Contigo brand 24oz autosealing water bottle/thermos. If I put ice in there along with the water, the ice will still be there unmelted two days later.

I LOVE this guy. It's thin and tall so it fits easily in my cupholder. With this and a smaller thermos of coffee, I have a good amount of liquid to drink but if I run out, I can go into a fast food joint and refill. It's easy to sip, easy to clean, it's fun for flipping if you feel like fidgeting when you're out of the car. It's like 18-19 bucks but should essentially last you forever. Tremendous quality. It's durable. Once fell off the roof of my SUV onto the street and it was fine, although I don't recommend doing that. Well worth it's value.

Here's the Amazon link for it

https://www.amazon.com/Contigo-AUTOSEAL-Stainless-Bottle-Monaco/dp/B01N7LKY1F

(Be careful, once a passenger who was mad at me grabbed it out of the cupholder and acted like he was going to hit me with it. It has a little bit of weight to it.)