Gift guide · Subaru
Gifts for Subaru Owners: 15 Ideas They'll Actually Use (2026)
Fifteen gift ideas for Subaru owners, for WRX and BRZ rally fans and for the Outback, Forester and Crosstrek crowd. Each comes with a note on what to check first, including how to find their key type without asking.
In this guide
Subaru owners tend to come in two kinds, and they rarely want the same present. One drives a WRX or BRZ and still remembers the blue-and-yellow rally Imprezas; the other has an Outback, Forester or Crosstrek, a dog, and a car that knows every trailhead within two hours. The best gifts for Subaru owners start with what both carry every morning: the key.
The 15 ideas below are grouped by budget, from stocking fillers to a day on rally gravel. Most note whether they suit the WRX crowd, the Outback crowd or both, and four are things we don't sell.
Quick picks
- Best overall: Subaru Alcantara key cover
- Small gift: Alcantara AirTag cover
- For the phone: Alcantara iPhone case
- For a WRX or BRZ with paddles: Carbon fiber paddle shifters
- Not sure what fits: Gift card
Check their key without asking
Subaru has used more than one key body across the Impreza, Forester, Outback, XV and WRX, and the badge on the tailgate won't tell you which one they carry; we make covers for two of them. Next time the key is hanging by the dog leash or sitting in a cupholder, photograph both sides, buttons showing, and match it to the fitment photo on each listing or our key fob cover fitment guide. Or send us the photo and we'll name the right cover, with a free exchange if it still turns out wrong.
Small gifts for Subaru owners and stocking fillers
Four small gifts, starting with the key both kinds of Subaru owner carry every day.
Best overall
1. Subaru Alcantara key cover
Rally fan or dog owner, every Subaru driver carries a plastic fob that collects scratches from coins, other keys and the bottom of a backpack. We cut this one for a single Subaru key body and stitch the edges by hand, so there's no glue line to peel. Every button, trunk release included, still presses normally, and the emergency blade comes out when needed.
It comes in Dark Grey, Light Grey, Orange and Green, with a metal ring or an Alcantara cord. There's no blue, so for a blue WRX, Dark Grey is the understated pick; Orange or Green suits a Crosstrek or Outback that lives outdoors at weekends, though suede isn't waterproof, so a soaked cover needs to dry before a brush across the nap.
Good to know: the listing names the Impreza, Forester, Outback, XV and WRX, but the key body decides the fit, so compare a photo of their key with the listing, or send it to us. For the other shape there's a Type B cover in suede-look microfiber; despite "Alcantara Style" in its name, it isn't Alcantara. Both live in our Subaru key covers collection, and picking the wrong type means a free exchange.
Best small gift
2. Alcantara AirTag cover
An Outback or Forester key goes on dog walks across wet fields, up ridges in a jacket pocket and into tents after dark. An AirTag on the ring shows the key in Find My if it drops in long grass, and the suede holder stops the tag knocking against the fob at every step.
Good to know: the AirTag itself isn't included. Bluetooth and the speaker work through the suede, so Find My can still make it chirp from the bottom of a tent bag or a pile of dog towels. Black only.
3. Alcantara keychain
Not every Subaru key will match one of our two cover shapes, and a keychain doesn't care. The suede is what you feel in a pocket; the load sits on a steel ring and clasp.
Good to know: the safe choice when the key never leaves their pocket long enough for a photo.
4. Carbon fiber start/stop button
In a Forester or Outback the start button gets pressed by fingers that have just loaded wet boots and a muddy dog, and on a high-mileage car the ring and lettering show it. This carbon cap pushes over the button without tools, and the switch and its illuminated symbol work as before. Pick Carbon Black or Ruby Red.
Good to know: this listing names the WRX, Forester and Outback; a BRZ version is in our Subaru carbon parts collection. Button sizes vary, so photograph theirs through the window and compare.
The sweet spot: suede for the phone, earbuds and watch
The middle of the budget, built around the phone they navigate, photograph and find the car with.
5. Alcantara iPhone case
On a trail day the phone is the map, the camera and the way back to the car, and between uses it lands on tailgates and picnic tables. Suede stays put on a sloped surface, MagSafe chargers and wallets still attach, and a raised edge keeps the glass off the table face down.
Good to know: it isn't sold as a rugged or waterproof case, so it suits the drive more than a wet scramble. Models run from the iPhone 14 to the 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max, plus the 17 Air and iPhone Ultra, and sizes differ, so check theirs under Settings, General, About. Pick the same color as the key cover.
6. Alcantara MagSafe cardholder
With up to three cards riding on the phone, a driver's license and one payment card go up the trail, and the wallet needn't stay hidden in the car at the trailhead.
Good to know: it only sticks to a MagSafe iPhone, or to the Alcantara case above, which is MagSafe-compatible. Dark grey only.
7. Alcantara AirPods case
Long drives to the mountains mean podcasts, and the AirPods slide around a cupholder or a door pocket. Suede grips where hard plastic skates, the lid still shuts fully, and the included carabiner clips the case to a daypack strap or the dog's treat bag.
Good to know: four sizes: AirPods Pro, AirPods Pro (2nd Generation), AirPods (3rd Generation) and AirPods (4th/5th Generation). In their phone's Bluetooth settings, the (i) next to the AirPods shows the exact model. There's no AirPods Pro 3 size, so pick another gift for those.
8. Alcantara Apple Watch band
This one leans toward the WRX and BRZ side. A metal bracelet taps the wheel rim through every corner and silicone turns clammy over a long drive; suede does neither. It clips in with Apple's standard lug connectors, so there's no adapter.
Good to know: suede shouldn't be soaked, so for a rainy hike they'll want a sport band. Sizes are 42/44/45/46mm and Ultra (49mm), or 38/40/41/42mm, and the case size is on the back of the watch. If it reads 42mm, the age matters: a watch up to Series 3 takes the larger band, Series 10 and newer the smaller one.
Bigger Subaru gifts: carbon for the cabin
Two carbon parts for an owner who has the small things covered.
9. Carbon fiber paddle shifters
For the rally fan whose Subaru has paddles, the factory ones sit a stretch away. Each carbon extension adds roughly 40 to 60 mm, so a downshift on a twisty road is a fingertip away. A locating lip lines them up over the originals, 3M adhesive holds them, and nothing gets drilled.
Good to know: a manual WRX or BRZ has no paddles, so skip this for those, and check the fitment photo, as paddle shapes changed within generations. Choose Carbon Black, Forged Carbon or Ruby Red; the red one is glass fiber rather than carbon. A separate BRZ / GT86 version exists because the BRZ was developed alongside Toyota's 86.
10. Carbon fiber gear selector cover
For the Crosstrek or Forester driver who will never ask for paddles. Their hand rests on the selector at every red light, and it shows fingerprints and scratches first. This real carbon shell slides over the original with no glue on the trim, and the release button and gear readout work as before.
Good to know: Carbon Black or Ruby Red. Selector shapes can change at a facelift, so compare the fitment photo. There's also a Forester-only version, sold as separate top and bottom pieces, so order both if they want the full set.
Rally days, a factory tour and other things we don't make
We don't sell any of these four: a rally day and a model kit for the WRX side, Subaru's own pet gear for the Outback side, and a factory tour for anyone.
11. A day at DirtFish Rally School
Subaru won the World Rally Championship manufacturers' title in 1995, 1996 and 1997, and this gift puts a WRX fan on gravel. DirtFish, on 315 acres in the Cascade foothills near Snoqualmie, Washington, counts Subaru as its exclusive vehicle partner. Students drive an all-wheel-drive WRX STI or a rear-wheel-drive BRZ on gravel, mud and tarmac, in half-day and one-day programs.
Good to know: it's in Washington State, so travel may be part of the gift, and outside the US a rally-school day closer to home does much the same job. Programs, booking and gift cards are on the official DirtFish page.
12. A tour of the Subaru plant in Lafayette, Indiana
Subaru of Indiana Automotive runs public tours of its Lafayette factory by reservation. Visitors walk a raised catwalk through the plant, roughly 1.25 miles and 250 stair steps.
Good to know: the minimum age is 10, closed-toe and closed-heel shoes are required, and phones and cameras stay behind. Tour dates and reservations are on the official SIA tour page.
13. A Tamiya 1/24 Subaru kit to build
Tamiya has made a 1/24 Subaru BRZ (ZD8) kit (24362), whose hood props open to show the boxer engine, with metal-plated taillight and exhaust parts. For the rally side, Tamiya has also made a 1/24 Subaru Impreza WRC '98 Monte-Carlo (24199), rear wing and night-stage lights included.
Good to know: both are plastic kits that need glue and paint. Tamiya retires kits from time to time, so look at Tamiya's product page and ask a hobby shop before you promise one.
14. Subaru's own pet-friendly accessories
For the Outback or Forester that is really the dog's car. Subaru of America's Genuine Subaru Pet-friendly Accessories include a padded cargo liner for the Forester and Outback with a fold-out bumper flap, and a Sleepypod harness in Subaru blue, crash-tested and certified by the Center for Pet Safety for dogs from 18 to 90 lb. They sit alongside Subaru Loves Pets, the shelter-support drive Subaru runs with the ASPCA each October.
Good to know: part numbers vary by model and the range differs outside the US, so give a local Subaru dealer their model and year and ask what they stock. Details are in Subaru's pet accessories brochure.
Last-minute
Last minute
15. JONPARTS gift card
If a photo of the key never happens, or you can't choose between carbon for the WRX and suede for the fob, let them pick. It's delivered by email, so it still counts if you buy it on the day, and any unspent balance carries over to a later order.
Good to know: the email goes to the address entered at checkout, so put in yours and pass the code on in a card.
For other drivers on your list, our gift guide for car guys points to a guide for every brand we cover. BRZ owners may find more in our Toyota gift guide, and the trailhead crowd overlaps with our list for Jeep owners.
Common questions
What are good gifts for Subaru owners?
Things they handle on every drive or trail day: a cover cut for their Subaru key, a suede iPhone case or a carbon start/stop button. Our Subaru key fob covers are the easiest place to start.
What are the best gifts for WRX owners?
Lean into the rally history: a carbon start/stop button, Tamiya's Impreza WRC '98 kit or a day at DirtFish in a WRX STI. Carbon paddles work too, unless the car is a manual.
Will a Subaru key fob cover fit any Subaru key?
No. Subaru has made more than one key shape, and each of our two covers is cut for one of them. Line their key up against the listing photos, or message us a picture from our contact page.
Is there a key cover for a Subaru Forester, Outback or Crosstrek?
Both of our Subaru listings name the Forester, Outback, XV (the Crosstrek in some markets), Impreza and WRX, but the key's outline and buttons decide the fit. The BRZ isn't named, so send us a photo of a BRZ key first.
Can an Alcantara key cover handle hikes, rain and a wet dog?
Alcantara is a suede, so it is neither waterproof nor mud-proof. If it gets muddy, let it dry, brush across the nap and lift what's left with a barely damp microfiber cloth. Our Alcantara cleaning guide covers what to avoid.
Can I get a Subaru key cover in carbon fiber or leather?
Not at the moment: our Subaru key covers are Alcantara, plus the Type B in suede-look microfiber. For carbon, the cabin parts above are the way in. If they're torn between materials, our Alcantara vs leather vs carbon fiber comparison weighs them up.
Shop every Subaru key cover
Alcantara for one Subaru key body, suede-look microfiber for the other, and a free swap if you pick the wrong one.
