These Are the Gifts Teens Actually Want

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  Photograph: Joseph Shin

  For the Music Addict

  1More ColorBuds

  1More has made our favorite fully wireless earbuds for two years in a row. The ColorBuds are bright, fun, water-resistant, and have a teen-friendly design, but more importantly, they sound fantastic. (Get some for yourself too!) And the cherry on top? They're much more affordable than headphones from other brands that don't sound as good or feel as comfy.

  What if your teen just wants AirPods, and they say that nothing else will do? Go for the AirPods Pro (8/10, WIRED Recommends). They're better in every way than other, cheaper generations.

• Photograph: Fujifilm

  For the 'Gram

  Fujifilm Instax Mini 11

  Instant cameras have made a huge resurgence—there are dozens of options, all teen-approved. We're still in the process of reviewing the Instax Mini 11, but it's essentially an upgraded version of the Instax Mini 9 (which is another great pick). The camera is available in a wide range of bright colors, and it features automatic exposure and shutter speed adjustments, so users can nail the shot on the first try. The selfie mode is improved too—no more manually attaching a selfie lens like on previous generations—and the camera has a built-in reflective bubble to nab the perfect angle. Teens will also love the option to customize the shutter button with the two included stickers (one looks like a jewel and the other glows in the dark).

  The refill film is inexpensive and gets even cheaper if you buy in bulk. You can also get neat accessories that coordinate with whichever color you go with.

  $70 $60 at Amazon

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• Photograph: Slimfold

  For the Almost-Adult

  SlimFold Micro Soft Shell Thin Wallet

  Like a good set of sheets or their first tools, a wallet is a gift that you only get excited about when you're almost an adult. SlimFold makes great gear—my partner has used this wallet daily for over six years and it's still going strong. It has just enough room for cash and cards, preventing it from becoming bulky or obtrusive (or leaving a wear mark on pants pockets). The material is durable, stretchy, and flexible, and even when stuffed full, the wallet remains lightweight. If your teen is preparing to fly the coop, this is a gift they'll get good use out of.

  Note that there's the option for RFID blocking for an extra $5, which you should avoid for two reasons. The first is that I don't love SlimFold's RFID blockers, which are basically removable cards that cause a nuisance when trying to store bills or credit cards. The second is that RFID-related crimes related to skimming credit cards are nearly nonexistent. Save your money and skip it.

  $45 at Amazon

• Photograph: Philips

  For the Sleepyhead

  Philips Wake-Up Light (HF3520)

  If Zoom school has your teen sleeping in, a sunrise alarm clock like this one can help. It uses light to mimic the sun rising, which works in conjunction with the body's circadian rhythm to help you wake up. You know how it's difficult to stay asleep if someone opens the curtains and lets the sunlight in? This clock does something similar. It's expensive but features a loud alarm, multiple wake-up sounds that are less jarring, and a built-in radio. It might do the trick to help your reluctant teen stick to their schedule.

  Check out more picks in our guide to the best sunrise alarm clocks.

  $120 at Amazon
• Photograph: Yeelight 

  For the Room Decorator

  Yeelight

  A smart bulb is one of the easiest ways to customize the lighting in a room, and the Yeelight is one of the best smart bulbs. It has multiple options for white light, but it also has the ability to shine in a wide array of colors, so your teen can set the mood with red, blue, or any other hue. The companion app can be used to pick a specific color, but there are also preset scenes, and it can even sync up with music—perfect for shooting TikTok videos. Added bonus: LED bulbs are cheaper to power than incandescent bulbs.

  Check out more of our favorites in this smart bulb buying guide.

  $36 $25 at Amazon (Click the Coupon)
• Photograph: Recurrent 

  For the Skin-Care Newbie

  Recurrent Face Wash Powder

  Teenagedom is right around the time when lots of people get into skin care (probably because of all that hormone-related acne). Recurrent makes simple, sustainable, gender-neutral hygiene products, and this face wash is about as beginner-friendly as it gets. The product is actually a powder that you sprinkle into your hand and mix with a few drops of water. A little goes a long way, and while it doesn't lather much, I've found it to be great for angry, inflamed pimples that crop up due to hormonal changes. The fragrance is faint and the cleanser rinses cleanly, leaving skin soft and clean. It can feel a little dehydrating, so it's especially good for oily or combination skin. Otherwise be sure that your recipient follows up with a moisturizer. Active ingredients include reishi mushrooms, which can help with scarring and redness, and clay mineral for oil control.

  Getting teenagers to stick to any sort of routine is difficult, much less a regimented multi-step ritual. Recurrent's face wash might be able to help clear their skin without too much work.

  $15 at Recurrent
• Photograph: Bubble

  For the Skin-Care Savant

  Bubble Full Skincare Set

  Maybe your teen is already into skin care, and that involves stealing copious amounts of your expensive under-eye cream, despite the fact that they don't even have dark circles yet. Bubble is a gender-neutral teen-friendly company making products specifically designed to target adolescent skin concerns, like acne and sweating. The ingredients are simple, but the process is more involved than the previous face wash we recommended—there are Bubble products for every step of a skin-care routine except for SPF. All of them are cruelty-free, vegan, fragrance-free, and gentle enough for sensitive skin.

  This set includes the full lineup, but there are other sets available in smaller sizes and combinations. Bubble has a fantastic resource called Skin School as well, which will teach teens about things like skin-care myths, skin types, and how to safely add products into a routine. Hopefully it'll help save your teen from the long-term consequences of using harsh cleansers or aggressively popping zits.

  $99 at Bubble

• Photograph: Starface

  For Breakouts

  Starface Hydro-Stars

  Starface's hydrocolloid blemish bandages are undeniably cute. The star shapes help to normalize acne—if you treat pimples as excuses to decorate your face, they hold less power over self-esteem—and refills are quite inexpensive. The packaging is portable and adorable as well. It's easy to stash the case inside a purse or backpack, and the compact stays closed thanks to the built-in magnet.

  Hydrocolloid patches work to absorb fluid, which helps deflate zits and reduces both redness and irritation. They also act as a physical barrier to shield the skin from external bacteria (and picking). Hydro-Stars are compatible with all skin types. Simply stick a star on top of a blemish, wear it for a few hours, and remove it to reveal a flatter, calmer, more healed blemish. I usually use the bandages overnight, but they're cute enough to wear during the day.

  $15 at Target
• Photograph: Amazon

  For the Aesthete Athlete

  Hydro Flask 32-Ounce Wide-Mouth Water Bottle

  Hydro Flasks combine a couple of the biggest trends in teendom: sustainability and sticker-driven customization. Hydro Flasks are to Gen Z what Nalgene bottles were to the teens of the early aughts. They come in a plethora of colors and capacities, and aside from being a status symbol, they'll also encourage the lucky recipient to stay hydrated throughout the day. Disposable water bottles are not in style, and haven't been for some time.

  Half of the cool factor when it comes to Hydro Flasks are the stickers. Pick out a coordinating pack for your giftee and you'll officially be their favorite relative. Probably.

  $45 at Amazon
• Photograph: Nintendo

  For the Gamer

  Nintendo Switch

  Handheld gaming has entered a new era, and the Nintendo Switch is its leader. This console can be used in a traditional sense, meaning played while sitting on a couch in front of a TV, but it can seamlessly slip out of its dock and instantly switch (get it?) to a handheld experience. It's not a phone, yet it's not an HDMI-tethered behemoth; the Switch is in a class of its own. Unless you've been preparing for months, you probably won't be able to snag an Xbox Series X or PlayStation 5, but the Switch is still a great gadget for teen gamers.

  Nintendo's eShop has a ton of titles up for grabs, and some of the best games at the moment are only available on the Switch. We also like the Nintendo Switch Lite quite a bit. It has better battery life and a sharper screen, but it cannot dock to a TV. This comparison can help you decide between the two.

  $300 at Amazon
• Photograph: Popsockets

  For the Clumsy

  PopSockets PopGrip

  As a teenager, I personally shattered more than a dozen cell phone screens (14, to be exact), and that was before the svelte, all-glass smartphones of today. Phones have become sleeker, but teens are still reckless. We've long loved the PopSocket phone grip, and if you don't use one yourself, you've probably seen one around. These inexpensive gadgets help make smartphones more grippy, giving teens a way to prevent expensive (and often repetitive) screen repairs. They double as a phone stand and triple as a fidget toy, too. Choose from the hundreds of premade designs or customize your own for a bit of extra cash.

• Photograph: Amazon

  For the Songbird

  JBL Clip 3

  In 2015 there were over 39,000 playlists titled "Shower" on Spotify, with those playlists getting over 550,000 streams per day. That number has likely risen since, but if you live with a teenager, you might have witnessed its rise through personal experience. No shower is complete without the perfect soundtrack.

  The JBL Clip 3 is rugged, waterproof, and plenty loud. It has a carabiner built in that can be used to hang the speaker from a backpack, handlebars, or a towel rack. Its predecessor is one of our favorite Bluetooth speakers. This updated version has beefed-up features and comes in several colors to boot.

• Photograph: Final

  For the Environmentally Conscious

  Final Straw

  Single-use plastic is the opposite of cool. This reusable straw is cute and environmentally friendly. It's available in several different colors ranging from neutrals to oil-slick anodized patterns. The overall footprint is very small, but both the straw and its included case are weighty, so they don't feel cheap or fragile. The straw automatically unfurls as you pull it out of the case, and there's a silicone sleeve that prevents both the top and bottom ends from being too sharp or uncomfortable. The kit includes a cleaning brush that stores cleverly inside the case. We also like this brand's reusable sporks.

  Metal straws aren't for everyone. These silicone versions are squishy, so they might work better for some folks, and they're easy to clean using the included squeegee.

• Photograph: Acer

  For the Aspiring Valedictorian

  Acer Swift 3 (2020)

  This is our favorite cheap laptop. It has solid specs, plenty of ports, a sleek design, and battery life that's good enough to last all day. The display is much sharper than other laptops at this price point too. This computer can handle homework, streaming, and late-night rounds of college applications. Your teen won't look like a dork when they pull this laptop out in front of their friends, and you won't be dropping four digits on the device, either.

  $604 at Amazon
• Photograph: Herschel 

  For the Hauling Hypebeast

  Herschel Supply Little America 17L Backpack

  Herschel backpacks meet at the sweet spot between what's trendy and what's good. Our reviewers really like this backpack, and so do teens. It's lightweight, has a streetwear-friendly aesthetic, and has lots of room for books, snacks, shoes, gadgets, and whatever else your teen is schlepping around. Plenty of style options ensure that you'll be able to find the right look for your gift recipient, and the price might fluctuate based on what you choose too. If this one isn't the best fit, these backpacks might do the trick.

• Photograph: Amazon

  For the Snapchat Sage

  Auxiwa Clip-On Selfie Ring Light

  Front-facing cameras are usually subpar compared to their rear-facing counterparts, but good lighting can help. Whether they're recording TikTok videos or snapping a selfie, this easy-to-use and inexpensive light will ensure your teen is looking their best, even with the dog face filter. The light has a tiny footprint, a rechargeable battery, and a few different brightness levels to get the shot just right.

  $18 at Amazon
• Photograph: Moment

  For the Smartphone Shutterbug

  Moment Telephoto Lens

  Moment lenses help you push your phone's camera past its limits. The lenses are a bit pricey, and they require a special phone case, but we like them nonetheless. If your teen is traveling abroad this semester, or if they love taking snaps of nature, family members, pets, and anything else, a Moment lens is a worthy investment. The lenses allow you to zoom in for close-ups or widen the scope with ease. You can pair a Moment lens with a smartphone gimbal to help budding videographers shine.

• Photograph: Velvet Caviar

  For the Accident-Prone

  Velvet Caviar Phone Case

  There's a lot of debate about what types of phone cases are best and why, but the general consensus is that they're necessary. Velvet Caviar's phone cases are branded as pretty yet protective. I have one on my phone right now, and I like it because it's beautiful and sturdy, but it doesn't add a ton of bulk. There are hundreds of styles, so you should have no trouble finding a good fit for your giftee. Casetify is another tried-and-true company that makes teen-friendly cases, and I've had great luck with Speck too. When hunting for the perfect case for the teen you're shopping for, keep a streamlined footprint and designs worthy of a mirror selfie in mind.

  If your teen is an iPhone owner, check out our favorite iPhone 11 cases and iPhone 12 cases.

  $30 at Amazon
• Photograph: Super Sassy

  For the Fashionista

  Super Sassy The Book of Pop Out Earrings

  After successfully being funded via Kickstarter, this book of earrings finally started shipping earlier this year, and it's one of those items I wish I would have had as a teenager. It's undeniably cool; the book is full of sturdy, colorful cardboard earrings in all sorts of designs and sizes. The lower corner of the book has a plastic container filled with earring hooks. Simply pop out your chosen earrings, thread a hook through, and wear. When they're done wearing them, teens can store the designs inside of the book for later use.

  The designs are both trendy and varied—options include everything from solid-color triangles to mismatched, coordinating pieces of sushi. The brand also has an inexpensive Earring of the Month Club if you want a gift that keeps on giving.

  $30 at Urban Outfitters

• Photograph: Razer

  For the Aspiring Streamer

  Razer Viper Ultimate

  The Razer Viper Ultimate isn't cheap, but it's the best gaming mouse. It features scorchingly fast response times, and according to gaming gear reviewer Jess Grey, the ambidextrous design feels like "an extension of your hand." The mouse recharges quickly on the included dock, so it's always ready to go. There are eight programmable buttons to make shortcuts easier as well. We'd be remiss not to mention the Razer Chroma RGB lighting, which allows your giftee to customize the light colors on the mouse and dock.

  We have some more picks in our guide to the best gaming mice.

  $150 $130 at Amazon
• Photograph: Roku

  For the Netflix Fiend

  Roku Streaming Stick Plus

  The Streaming Stick+ is our top pick for the best streaming devices. It's 4K capable, but it will work just fine on non-4K televisions, and the extra cost for that feature is worthwhile if your recipient might ever use it on an upgraded TV. The Roku interface is slick and user-friendly, and the device setup couldn't be easier. Simply plug in the stick to a USB-A port on the back of the TV and in a few moments the stick will be good to go. Teens can use it to stream Netflix, Hulu, YouTube, and more.

• Photograph: Colgate

  For Shiny Smiles

  Colgate Hum

  The Colgate Hum (9/10, WIRED Recommends) is one of our favorite electric toothbrushes. It's much more affordable than most of its competitors, but that price doesn't come at the cost of cutting corners. There are plenty of features, including a companion app that tracks users' brushing habits and ensures that every nook and cranny gets a good cleaning.

  Keeping up a good dental hygiene routine also earns "smile points," which can be redeemed for things like discounts on new brush heads or premium trials of meditation services. This may seem small, but we all know that the only things teens love more than gamification is a good app.

• Photograph: Amazon

  For the Teen Who Has Everything

  Amazon Gift Card

  Are gift cards a tacky gift when shopping for your boss? Probably. When it comes to teens, though, an Amazon gift card offers immunity. You might be admitting that you're not the most thoughtful gift giver, but it's better to give a gift card and win the battle than to give a cringe-worthy T-shirt and lose the war.

  $25 at Amazon

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  Photograph: Urban Outfitters 

  For More Gift Ideas

  Trendy Non-Tech Gifts

  Maybe your teen already has half of the stuff on this list, or maybe the recommendations didn't strike a chord. Try one of these teen-approved ideas on for size. Scrunchies and Crocs have made a resurgence, and you can never go wrong with Glossier when it comes to Generation Z.

  Now that many teens are learning from home, a reading pillow like this one might be a good investment. You could also opt for room decor, like a battery-operated neon light or rainbow-hued strip lights. When in doubt, band posters are a timeless pick. Maybe just opt for something like BTS and less like Bruce Springsteen.