Gifts for Teenagers: 6 Things They'll Actually Use (From Someone Who Asked Them)

Reading time: 7 minutes

Ben turned 17 last month. I asked what he wanted for his birthday and got "I don't know" followed by him going back to his phone.

So I did what seemed logical at the time - waited until he was at soccer practice and asked three of his teammates what they'd want as gifts for teenagers. They looked at me like I was weird but they answered.

Just Give Money

All three kids said money. One of them, Marcus, put it this way: "My aunt bought me shoes last year. Wrong size, wrong color, now they're in my closet."

That made sense. These gifts for teenagers are high stakes because teens actually care about specific brands and colors in ways adults don't track. Marcus said he'd rather get $50 and buy what he wants than get a $50 gift that's close but wrong.

I gave Ben cash. He bought hiking stuff I wouldn't have picked - specific water bottle brand, particular backpack size. But he uses it. He packs hiking snacks in there and we've gone out twice since his birthday.

Water Bottles Are Still A Thing

My coworker has a 16-year-old daughter. I asked her about gifts for teenagers and she said "Emma won't leave the house without her Stanley cup."

I thought that trend died but apparently not. Emma carries it to school, dance practice, in the car. Her mom said Emma's on her second one because she left the first at a friend's house for three weeks.

Expensive water bottles as gifts for teenagers work because they're too expensive to lose carelessly. That's the logic anyway.

Good Headphones

Ben's earbuds broke two months after I gave him the backpack. Cheap ones from Amazon. He asked for better ones for Christmas.

"I use them like six hours a day," he said when I asked why he needed expensive ones. "School, walking, at home when everyone's loud."

Fair point. These gifts for teenagers get used constantly. He mentioned noise cancellation specifically - something about blocking out our family group chat notifications.

I got him decent wireless earbuds. He's had them four months and they still work. Better than the $20 ones that lasted eight weeks.

Skincare Is Complicated Now

My niece Emma has a bathroom counter covered in skincare products. I counted at least twelve bottles last time I visited.

"This stuff is expensive," she told me unprompted. "When I get gift cards to Sephora I actually use them."

I don't understand what half those products do. But gifts for teenagers should probably acknowledge they care about different things than we did at their age. Emma said most relatives either give her kid stuff or completely miss what's actually trendy.

Skincare gift cards skip that problem entirely. She can pick what works for her skin or whatever she's been wanting to try.

Outdoor Stuff With Their Input

The backpack worked for Ben because I sent him links first and let him pick which one. My friend made a different mistake with gifts for teenagers last year.

She bought her son Jordan a sleeping bag for camping. Wrong temperature rating, too small. It's been in their garage for eight months. Jordan still borrows his friend's sleeping bag when they camp.

Ben uses his 26L backpack for everything - school, weekend trips, when we go check out outdoor spots. But he picked the exact model and color.

If you're buying outdoor gear as gifts for teenagers, either let them choose or give money and go with them to buy it. Their preferences are weirdly specific and they'll actually tell you if you ask.

Experiences But Let Them Choose

Ben's friend told me her favorite gift was concert tickets - but her parents let her pick who to bring and didn't try to come along.

"They just drove us and picked us up," she said. "That was perfect."

Good gifts for teenagers include experiences but you have to let them control it. Don't force them into your hobbies. Ben wanted to try hiking so we've been doing waterfall trails together. But it was his idea.

He brings his own trail snacks now and plans which trails we should try next. The experience worked because he wanted to do it.

What Actually Works

After asking a handful of teenagers and messing up a few gifts for teenagers myself, here's what I learned: ask them what they want or give them money to buy it themselves.

If they won't tell you, ask what they use every day and get a better version of that. Ben's advice on gifts for teenagers was simple: "Get exactly what we ask for or give cash so we can get it ourselves."

Not diplomatic but honest. Sometimes the best gifts for teenagers come from admitting we don't know what they want - and that's okay.

Those Washington trails we've been doing? Started because I stopped guessing what gifts for teenagers should be and asked Ben what he actually wanted to try. Turns out listening works.