Our teenage years are simultaneously the best and worst of our lives. From raging hormones and mood swings, to the complicated politics of secondary school life and studying for exams that just may determine one’s future, our teen years can truly suck.
There will also be extreme highs thanks to the sheer joy elicited by youth and vitality. From discovering new music to curating their own unique styles and tastes, there’s always something new to discover. Alexa, play Taylor Swift’s Fifteen.
Our job as parents, guardians or siblings is to ensure these bouts of pure teenage bliss are a regular occurrence – though we don’t always get it right. After all, the teenager has been uniquely moulded by each generation since their ‘invention’ in the 1950s (before then, kids pretty much became adults as soon as they reached the supposedly marriageable age of 16). Gen-Z teenagers appear almost unrecognisable to those who came of age as Millennials, while both tech-savvy generations are considered entirely alien to Boomers.
Whichever generation you belong to, we’re here to help you understand what your young tween might just consider ‘cool’. Getting it right can be difficult, especially with trends changing faster than you can ask your teen what on earth ‘Gorpcore’ is, and whether it’s a disease that you should be concerned about.
From stylish room décor to the It-kid accessories of the moment, we’ve rounded up a selection of the best gifts to buy your teenager. Keep scrolling to become the coolest gifter ever.
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Meta Quest 3
With better immersive graphics than ever before, the Meta Quest 3 is the latest and greatest VR headset to hit the market. The latest redesign has seen the addition of two GB colour cameras with an innovative depth projector, which gives you the ability to seamlessly blend virtual and physical spaces.
This is mixed reality and the result is transformational. Your living room is digitised and infiltrated with the Stranger Things Upside Down or you can get lost in all four corners of this world and others, whether transported to Venice in Assassin's Creed or into space. As you climb, the possibility of falling feels real, while fighting off invaders in lifelike situations gives the feel of real consequences.
Lightening-fast performance is supported by the Qualcomm Snapdrgon XR2 Gen 2 processor and the 4K+ infinite display will leave you struggling to discern reality from fiction.
Buy now £479.99, Meta
Glossier Limited Edition Cookie Butter + Hot Cocoa Balm Dotcom Original
You may have noticed on the Glossier Instagram page that the posts are littered with comments from fans of the original Balm Dotcom formula begging the brand for its return.
Well, the label has listened and for a limited time, you can add limited edition holiday flavours; Cookie Butter and Hot Cocoa with the previous formulations – before it became vegan. The former has a caramel tint and a cinnamon-spiced speculoos aroma, whilst the latter is a chocolatey-vanilla treat with a subtle chestnut brown hue.
Bundle these together with the Glossier’s Holiday Tumbler (£29) for a gift that can’t fail.
Buy now £14.00, Glossier
Drowsy Blue Belle Silk Sleep Mask
There’s nothing worse than struggling to sleep on a flight, especially under stress. Drowsy’s sumptuous silk sleep mask features a total black-out effect, a pure mulberry silk fabric, a fully adjustable head strap and a hypoallergenic, breathable design. The wrap-around fit and cloud-like plushness ensure all surroundings are effortlessly blocked out.
Buy now £69.00, Drowsy
LED Himalayan Salt Lamp Speaker
This ingenious two-in-one device is the wellness accessory you never knew you needed. Himalayan salt lamps are said to help cleanse and balance our energy. They are used by many meditation experts to help enhance their experience, but we’ve never come across one with a built-in Bluetooth speaker. Enjoy the calming sounds of the ocean or your favourite album while drifting off into a post-study-sesh nap.
Buy now £21.00, Urban Outfitters
Clean Eileen 90s Stone
In case you missed it, the 90s are all the rage amongst Gen Z-ers at the moment. Treat them to the perfect pair of stone-washed, high-waisted jeans and you just might win coolest person of the year award. While these technically fall under the 'women's' section, all the denim over at Nudie Jeans is considered unisex.
Buy now £101.50, Nudie Jeans
Adidas Handball Spezial Shoes
Teens have been flocking to Adidas in troves to purchase Sambas like Emma Chamberlain, or Gazelles – which have been dubbed ‘Satellite Stompers’ by Harry Styles fans, as they’re a key element of his tour ensemble. This has resulted in both Sambas and Gazelles being extremely hard to purchase. Offering a brilliant middle-ground between the two styles and our personal favourite, the Adidas Spezials are a bang-up choice and are available in a range of colourways.
We’re particularly partial to the navy/baby blue colourway with gum soles. You can also add some subtle personalisation at the side of each shoe. Now that’s a perfect gift.
Buy now £85.00, Adidas
Pure Steam Distilled Rosewater
Young skin is often sensitive and very reactive. Rosewater offers calming, moisturising and brightness-boosting properties for your teen, and this formula by Forest Essentials is as good as it gets when it comes to the magical elixir. High-quality roses are sourced from Kannauj in India, after which they are steam-distilled to retain as much of their essence as possible.
Buy now £18.00, Forest Essentials
Apple AirPods Max
With a noise-cancellation capacity that makes you feel like you’re floating in outer space, unbeatable sound quality and looks to boot – the AirPods Max is one of the most coveted pieces of tech to be released in the last few years. If you really want to impress your teen, we recommend scooping up a packet of adorable jelly stickers so that they can customise their new prized possession.
Buy now £499.00, Argos
Kuori Green Ceramic Noodle Bowl
A brilliant present for the noodle-obsessed, slurpy meals have never been more of a delight than when eaten from this cute and practical ramen set. Complete with a pair of twirly chopsticks – this gift is a university essential.
Buy now £15.00, Oliver Bonas
Hercules DJControl Inpulse 300 MK2 – USB DJ Controller – 2 Decks with 16 Pads and Built-in Sound Card
Treat the budding DJ in your life to a brand-new set of starter decks in 2024. Serato DJ Lite software is included in your purchase and offers all the features integral to learning how to mix and scratch like a pro. Simply set up your Hercules via an iMac or Windows PC and connect to a pair of headphones or speakers depending on how confident you are in your set. Complete with 16 pads for triggering funky samples and loops, this lightweight device is sure to kick-start your musical career.
Buy now £178.05, Amazon
Museum of Peace and Quiet Wordmark Cotton-Twill Cap
Sometimes all your teen needs is a bit of Peace & Quiet. Good day at school? Not now mum. This uber-cool cap might just serve as a stylish mood-signaller for confused parents and guardians.
Buy now £42.00, Coggles
Subcold Ultra 15 Mini Fridge Cooler
Though we’re not necessarily supposed to encourage our teenagers to never leave their room, this 15L mini fridge will keep their favourite snacks and beverages safe from sneaky siblings. Plus, keeping skincare in a mini fridge is a fantastic way to keep opened products as fresh as possible, while boosting their soothing or calming capabilities.
Buy now £74.99, Amazon
Glossier Duffle Bag
We don’t think we’ve ever come across a more perfect Weekender bag. Equipped with a single main compartment, two interior pockets, a side pocket, an adjustable and detachable strap, and realised in a dreamy desert rose and sand colourway, this is an essential piece of kit for adults and teens alike.
Buy now £55.00, Glossier
Mr Maria Miffy XL Lamp
Teens and tweens will adorn this giant Miffy lamp. It exudes a gentle warming light for young ones to use while reading and relaxing at night.
Buy now £195.00, Selfridges
Eastpak Bumbag Double RW Burgundy
Stylish and inherently practical, the bum bag has made a comeback in recent years and we think it’s here to stay. Part of Eastpak’s Resist Waste collection, this attractive piece has been crafted from surplus materials and leftover fabrics. With one large main compartment, two zip-fastening front pocks and an adjustable strap, your teen can keep their belongings as close as possible while upping their street-style game.
Buy now £35.00, Eastpak
Nintendo Switch Console
Handheld and portable, the Nintendo Switch Console has a whopping nine-hour battery life depending on their game of choice. Hook it up to your telly to play Mario Kart like a pro, use table-top mode for a high-quality home-gaming experience, and of course, go fully handheld for gaming on the go.
Buy now £279.00, Selfridges
Gramicci Original Freedom Oval Hooded Sweatshirt
A cosy, oversized hoodie from an uber-cool streetwear brand is sure to bring a smile to any teenager's face, no matter the occasion.
Buy now £120.00, John Lewis
Papier Mavis Hardback Notebook
Whether your teen is into bullet journalling, daily diary entries, sticker collecting or any other hobby that requires a hard-back notebook – Papier is the place to purchase one. The beautifully designed, neutral-toned Mavis diary can be customised to feature the recipient’s name. Plus, you can choose between dotted, lined or blank pages.
Buy now £19.55, Papier
Taylor Swift Speak Now (Taylor's Version)
Taylor Swift’s Speak Now was originally released in 2010 when the international megastar was just 21. The 2023 re-record features six unreleased tracks from the vault, which were written during the time of the album’s initial production – offering a whopping 22 scream-into-your-hairbrush-worthy bangers.
Buy now £44.99, Rough Trade
Huge Goose Plush Toy
We don’t think we need even comment on this giant goose plush toy, the picture alone says it all. Available in sizes ranging from 90cm to 160cm and with a price point that never exceeds £50 no matter how giant a goose you go for, the pay-off for this massive stuffed toy is priceless.
Buy now £35.99, Amazon
Kudd.ly
Slouchy, sumptuous comfort for weekend mornings and beyond, no teenager’s winter wardrobe is complete without a hoodie blanket from Kudd.ly.
Buy now £49.00, Kudd.ly
Ganni Graphic Wool Scarf
Scarves are considered pretty standard gifts, but that doesn’t always have to be the case. Ganni’s adorable printed scarf showcases the brand’s logo and cheery winter tones set on a warm woollen fabric. A true It-girl accessory, this piece is sure to delight budding fashionistas.
Buy now £145.00, Ganni
YASHICA Blind Box Retro Disposable Camera
Pull this camera out during any special occasion and have retro-tinged keepsakes to cherish forever. The 27-exposure film produces a stream of vintage-looking pictures.
Buy now £20.00, Urban Outfitters
InstaX Pal + InstaX Link
Designed to be used in tandem with the already cult-favourite product from Fujifilm - the InstaX Link polaroid printer - the InstaX Pal is an adorable miniature digital camera for capturing moments on the go.
Brilliant for remote shooting, the InstaX Pal comes equipped with a wide-angle lens and a detachable multi-use ring which can be used as a miniature tripod for self-timed shots. Your Pal can store up to 50 images at a time on a Micro SD card, and can also drop your favourite picks via Bluetooth to your smartphone.
Purchase the InstaX Link separately if you don’t already have it for instantly printing your spontaneous snaps onto InstaX mini, square or wide polaroid film depending on which model you go for.
The Mike Wazowski-esque camera is offered in five different colours: pistachio green, milky white, lavender blue, powder pink and a shin gem black.
Buy now £89.00, InstaX
Relaxed Fit Duck Blanket Lined Detroit Jacket
Though technically marketed as a men's jacket, we consider this iconic workwear piece from Carhartt to be an iconic piece of unisex outerwear.
Buy now £134.99, Carhartt
Urban Outfitters Mushroom Embroidered Cushion
Tap into the latest obsession with mushrooms. The fungi trope is yet to die down, and for good reason. Cute designs like Urban Outfitters’ embroidered offering are set to delight cottagecore lovers.
Buy now £42.00, Urban Outfitters
Anna + Nina 3D Wax Candles
Thanks to Gen-Z’s backing, quirky candles have taken on a whole new cachet. These playful 3D candles by Anna + Nina are a fabulous stocking filler for those in need of some inspired homeware.
Buy now £32.00, Selfridges
Le Labo Santal 33 Shower Gel 237ml
Master perfumer Le Labo creates addictive scents - and Santal 33 is our favourite. What better way to wake up every morning than lathering up in the shower surrounded by notes of sandalwood, leather, and iris? Enriched with vitamin E, aloe vera, and flaxseed extract, it will leave their skin feeling soft, smooth, and perfectly conditioned - and they'll smell divine.
Buy now £44.00, Selfridges
