A Gift Guide for Teens: How to Shop for the New Generation
Teenagers nowadays are a lot different than what they were fifteen, twenty years ago- and that’s in big part thanks to technology. When adults now we're growing up we only were just getting phones after we hit puberty but that’s not the case anymore. Kids have access to technology early and that means they will see a lot more toys, games, and products then we saw in magazines during the holidays. But luckily because everything is so accessible now we have an in on what’s trending and what teens would appreciate, to quote a famous movie from our time:
“I'm not a regular mom, I'm a cool mom."
Except in this case it’s more like: “We’re not a regular gift expert, we’re a cool gift expert."
We’re going to be breaking down how to get a gift that’ll really make you the most iconic mom, dad, parent- family member in the whole town. Let’s create a gift guide for teens so this way you can tell those worries to “stfu” and let be, because we know what we’re doing, trust us 😉
Step One: Write What You Know ✍️
As we know, everyone has different tastes, some people like x and some people like y; and we’d say that’s even truer for teenagers. They are just coming into their own, choosing things that speak to them and who they are without influences from family members gifting things they might like during the holidays from when they were a kid.
You remember when you were a teen right? The last thing you wanted was to get the one thing you specifically remember telling your parents not to get. Obviously this could be a bit tricky, especially if the teen you’re shopping for is a bit on the introverted side and you don’t quite know what they like at the moment.
That’s why we recommend two things:
Writing down what you know. You can create a list of their likes and interests and with that comes sparks of inspiration. You may recall a TV show or video game they love, then you can search up merchandise for that piece of media. Or maybe they have a hobby they put a lot of work into like drawing or playing an instrument, this you can use as an opportunity to buy an upgrade to a piece of equipment they use daily.
And the second thing is: asking and listening. We know this might get rid of the “surprise” element but we think that showing an interest in what they are interested in is a great way to find gifts not just for this upcoming date but for all future holidays, birthdays, and celebrations. Ask them what they would like, and more importantly ask them what they would not like. That way you can make a “don’t” list when you’re shopping.
It’s good to get a basis, even if it’s a small one, for when you’re shopping for anyone, including teens.
Step Two: Note Their Interests & Buy 🤑
Now that we’ve written things down and talked to them, we have a nice head start on what to get them. We’ll now look into websites you can go to in order to find things that may align with what they’re into:
🖌️Etsy: A huge array of independent contractors, businesses, and artists make and sell their creations on Etsy and you’ll notice that a lot of people get custom made items through the vendor that specializes in all things homemade. Type in the teen’s interest and you’ll more than likely find a few items that will get them excited when they open it.
🔴Redbubble: An Etsy-adjacent company that has a little more emphasis on independent creators. Focusing especially on wall art, stickers, phone cases, clothing, and accessories with hundreds of thousands of designs featuring popular media.
🟠Crunchyroll: If the teen loves anime then going to the Crunchyroll shop should immediately be your next step- if not then you can gently move onto the next suggestion. Crunchyroll is an anime-centric streaming service with a shop geared towards all types of anime.
🏪Official Store(s): The best places to shop for merch in person is major retailers as they have sections dedicated to TV, movies, books, and other series’ official merchandise licensed by the brand itself.
We’re just one gift guide for teens that’ll help you find the perfect gift.
Step Three: Universal Gifts Any Teen Will Love 😻
Now that you have the gifts lined with their own specific interests mapped out, let’s take a look at some gifts that are pretty unanimous with every teen:
These are one of the best headphones on the market. Image courtesy of: Best Buy.
You may have noticed the rise of the Apple headphone(s) in recent years and that’s because when Apple makes a product, they make a pretty dang good one. And teens have taken notice because they cannot get enough of the Apple AirPods Max (USB-C) from Best Buy for $529.99. We know it’s a hefty price-point so we get the hesitation but we will say that if you want to find a pair of headphones that will last them a long, long time that they will actually love to get- it’s these.
They offer noise cancelling so good it’ll let them decompress from the stresses of everyday life and school. The battery life lasts about 20 hours on a full charge and for less than ten minutes you can get 1.5 hours of charge on them. There’s also a built-in microphone so they can accept calls from you should they be too locked in to notice and take their headphones off.
Ease of charging has never felt better. Image courtesy of: Anker.
Since we are in the modern age we require a lot of cords to charge all of our stuff and sometimes we don’t want to have to plug in our stuff- or better yet, when we lay our phone down on our bedside table we want to be able to charge it without fumbling for a cord or forgetting to plug it in.
The Anker 313 Wireless Charger (Pad) for $16.29 makes for a great gift to get any teen that has multiple devices to charge and not enough chargers to do so. They don’t have to worry about taking their case off to charge, it’s able to charge through a 5mm case and is perfectly safe and compatible for any device.
We’re going into what we call our “mini self-care” section with these next two gift sets courtesy of the ever popular Bath & Body Works:
Smell good and feel good with this gift set. Image courtesy of: Bath & Body Works.
First up we have the Lavender Vanilla Gift Set for $38.95 which contains the essential oil mist (5.3 fl oz), ultimate hydration body cream (8 oz), gentle foaming hand soap (8.75 fl oz) and hand cream (1 fl oz). We know that getting bath products isn’t the most exciting but we also know that as we grow up and hit that teenager age we actually enjoy getting things like self-care products. And with bodies changing, this will ensure they both feel good and smell good as they navigate that ever changing teenage landscape.
Offering a more “woody” scent in all your favorite products. Image courtesy of: Bath & Body Works.
If the teen isn’t the biggest fan of the more flowery scents in the Lavender Vanilla set, and prefer a deeper scent then they will love the Mahogany Teakwood gift set also for $38.95. This comes with a couple different products which include deodorizing body spray (3.7 oz), body cream (8 fl oz), shea butter cleansing bar (5 oz) and shower gel (10 fl oz).
A gift that’ll work for not just teens, but for everyone. Image courtesy of: Nike.
Hoodies are a must-have and Nike hoodies are an automatic “yes” for any teen as the brand is popular and they are quite comfortable to wear. Here we have the Nike Sportswear Club Fleece Hoodie for $70 (now it is advertised as a “Women’s” hoodie but as you can see it works for any and all genders). It has sizes from XXS (00) to 3XL and comes in eight colors.
A gift they’ll like that prompts them to drink water? Yes please. Image courtesy of: owala.
With the rise of the Stanley Cup a few years ago, water bottles have become super popular amongst kids, teens, and young adults. Recently from owala their FreeSip® Water Bottle (24oz) for $29.99 has garnered popularity though TikTok and other social media sites. The FreeSip spout, triple-layer insulation, and variety of colors attract the eyes of many. It comes in twenty-four colors and three size options: 24oz, 32oz, and 40oz.
Let's add some magic to their room. Image courtesy of: Amazon.
Every teen wants their room to be theirs and a Star Projector Galaxy Projector which is $17.99 on Amazon makes for a great addition. With multiple different light settings and different color combos that you can control through an app on your phone or the little remote that comes with it- they can make their room a relaxing and vibey atmosphere.
Step Four: Let Them Choose What They Get
Although a lot of the gifts on this list will work for any group of teens, we believe that the power of choice is really the thing they will appreciate the most. And the way to do that? By getting them a gift card to their favorite store/place to go. Here they can choose to spend the money on exactly what they want and all you need to do is supply them with it. Here are the top five gift cards teens are loving right now:
🥤Mix It Up: We 👏 love 👏 options 👏. And with a Mix It Up gift card they can use it to buy something from any of the following stores: Auntie Anne’s, Carvel, Cinnabon, Jamba, McAlister’s Deli, Moe’s Southwest Grill, and Schlotzsky’s. They can get a treat when they head out with their friends next.
🛒Amazon: The online retailer where you can get quite literally almost anything you could want! They can scroll through their catalog to get something shipped right to your door in just a few days' time. Because patience and teens are two things that tend not to go together well.
🍩Dunkin’: The fast food chain that specializes in coffee, tea, breakfast sandwiches, snacks, and of course: donuts. Head on to a Dunkin’ with the besties and get a drink and a sugary snack before they head out to further explore the town.
🍿AMC Theatres: Going to the movies never gets old and any teen will surely appreciate an AMC gift card as they can use it to buy not just the tickets for the actual movie itself but for concessions as well.
💸Visa: Instead of being limited to just one store, how about a gift card you can use pretty much anywhere? They can use this card to buy food, gas, games, books, clothes- whatever they want, they can get.
PerfectGift.com is all about finding, well, the perfect gift! With hundreds of popular eGift card brands available, you can personalize and send someone their gift in just a few minutes. Pick between a restaurant, famous retailer, online subscription service, and more for your first PerfectGift today.
Now that you have all of the steps listed from our gift guide for teens and more than a few options to add to the shopping list, you’re on your way to become, unironically, the coolest of people we know.
