- Tech
- Holiday Gift Guide
- Gifts
By
Haley Lyndes
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Shopping for a teenager is never an easy undertaking. (We can just picture the forced smiles now. . . .) Lucky for you, we've taken the guesswork out of getting them a gift they'll be sure to brag about on TikTok.
The first fully digital native generation is always way ahead of the curve when it comes to the latest, coolest gadgets, so to find out what teens are eyeing this holiday season, we went straight to the source. Yep, we asked some real-life teenagers to weigh in on the best tech gifts you can buy.
According to Ella (age 13) and Winter (age 14), you'll win your teen over by skipping the practical tech gifts (like air purifiers and phone sanitizers) and instead going for a present that speaks to their particular passions. Does the teen in your life love music? Upgrade their headphones sitch. Have a budding photographer on your hands? Try a wireless printer.
Whether the teen you're shopping for is interested in music, fashion, or beauty, we've found something they're sure to think is cool — and there's something here for every budget. Yep, contrary to popular belief, tech gifts don't need to break the bank, we found affordable gifts under $100 and splurge must-haves they'll swoon over. There's something for every picky teen. Shop our top gifting picks ahead.
A Tech Gift For Their Bedroom
Photo Clip LED Fairy String Lights ($8, originally $20)
This string of lights offers a unique way for the sentimental teen in your life to cherish their most-prized memories. Our resident teen Winter recommends pairing the photo-clip lights with a photo printer or taking your teen to the copy shop to get hard copies of their pics. It is 17 feet long with 50 LED lights and comes with 50 clear clips.
A Tech Gift For Mood Lighting
Tsrare Sunset Lamp ($21, originally $25)
This projection light takes mood lighting to a whole new level — its head can be rotated 180 degrees to adjust the size and shape of the projected light. It has over 20 colors to choose from as well. It's small enough to be placed anywhere, whether it be a nightstand, dresser, or shelf, making it a great gift for practically anyone to enjoy.
"This is cool," says Winter. "It adds depth to a room and is good for taking pictures."
A Tech Gift For the Lip Balm-Obsessed
Case-Mate Glossy Magnetic Lip Gloss Holder ($25, originally $30)
Shopping for the teen who always carries a lip balm or lip gloss with them? This Case-Mate Glossy Magnetic Lip Gloss Holder is a detachable phone accessory that lets them store their go-to lippie on the back of their phone. They can use this on a wide range of MagSafe phone cases, even if they upgrade their phone. Our editor loves how convenient it is while on the go. Read more about it in her review of the Case-Mate Glossy Magnetic Lip Gloss Holder.
Editor Quote: "I can easily slide in my current go-to lip product or gloss and reapply my lippie whenever I want. The holder has a strong grip on the lip product, ensuring that it doesn't fall out while I'm out and about. The holder fits a wide variety of popular lip products, including the popular Rhode Lip Peptide Treatment, Summer Fridays Lip Butter Balm, Olehenriksen Pout Preserve Peptide Lip Treatment, Laneige Lip Glowy Balm, and more." - Anvita Reddy, assistant editor, Shopping
A Useful Tech Gift
Miisso Ultra-Slim Power Bank ($28, originally $32)
The only person who hates it more when your teen's phone runs out of battery than you do is . . . your teen. You'll stay saner knowing the teen you love is safe when they carry this credit-card-size portable charging bank with them. The Miisso comes in a rainbow of colors and includes both lightning and USB-C cables.
A Tech Gift For Beauty Lovers
Bwllni Hollywood Makeup Mirrors With Lights ($34, originally $60)
Both Ella and Winter named a light-up mirror for doing their makeup as must haves this holiday season. This model — which is under $50 — has multiple lighting settings that allow you to adjust the brightness and warmth. Bonus: reviewers on Amazon say it also makes a great selfie light.
A Tech Gift For Morning Routines
Wake Up Light Sunrise Alarm Clock ($35 originally $39)
This alarm clock is designed with heavy sleepers in mind. The alarm has a "sunrise stimulation light" that adjusts from 10 to 100 percent brightness 30 minutes before your alarm's set time. The alarm comes with a radio, a snooze function, and seven color-changing light settings. What does the teen say? "Really fun alarm clock," says Winter. "It's a unique idea, and it's really pretty." High praise.
A Mini Fridge Gift For Snacks or Skin Care
Cooluli Skincare Mini Fridge ($50, originally $70)
Of course, the fridge downstairs is packed with goodies for the whole family to enjoy, but what teen wouldn't want to have their own stash? This model can fit so many goodies — perfect for storing their favorite treats at sleepovers and beyond. It can also double as a skin-care fridge, which we're very into these days. Plus, it comes in so many fun colors.
A Tech Gift For Memories
HP Sprocket Portable Instant Photo Printer ($80)
The pictures on their iPhone no longer have to stay in the cloud. Thanks to this portable printer, your teen can print out photos instantly and choose to save them in a photo album or scrapbook. Its slim design allows them to take this photo printer anywhere: a friend's house, on vacation, or to decorate their locker. (Do teens still have lockers?)
An Apple Watch Tech Gift
Apple Watch SE ($239)
Screen time can be just as draining for teens as it can for adults. Ella says she'd love to get an Apple Watch so that she can track her progress (and stay reachable) on her runs without getting pulled down a rabbit hole on her phone.
In addition to fitness tracking, the Apple Watch SE has sleep-tracking and crash-detection capabilities. It's also waterproof, if your teen is a swimmer.
A Tech Gift For the Avid Reader
Kindle Colorsoft Signature Edition ($280)
If your teen is an avid reader, they'll obsess over the new Kindle Colorsoft. Unlike other Kindle models, this one is able to showcase and display colors. Readers can enjoy travel guides and graphic novels, and highlight in color. It's waterproof and ultra-durable, and it provides the best visuals in direct sunlight.
A Tech Gift For Music Lovers
Marshall Stanmore III Bluetooth Speaker ($326)
If you're shopping for a teen who adores music, this speaker will fill their home with melodies for an immersive, concert-like experience. This piece of tech allows you to adjust the bass and treble for a customized sound, comes in three colors (black, a vintage cream, or a relaxed rustic brown), and can be connected via an aux cable. It's an editor favorite as well: read our in-depth review of the Marshall Stanmore III Bluetooth Speaker.
Editor Quote: "The way it plays music is incredibly captivating and fills my entire 750-square-foot apartment with rich sound. Simply turn on any song and you'll be sucked into details you've never noticed before like deep bass, a prolific melody, or a song's grand instrumentals. The listening experience is almost immersive, and that's what I love about the Stanmore III: you close your eyes and it's like the band is playing in front of you." - Haley Lyndes, former assistant editor, Shopping
A Tech Gift For Gamers
Nintendo Switch OLED Model With White Joy-Con ($350)
Get the gamer teen in your life something they'll obsess over. The Nintendo Switch has three modes of playtime — TV mode, tabletop mode, and handheld mode — for gaming whenever, wherever. When played in handheld and tabletop modes with the seven-inch OLED screen, they can enjoy an enhanced experience with the system's built-in speakers. It comes with a wide adjustable stand, a dock for TV mode, and 64GB of internal storage.
A Pair of Noise-Canceling Headphones
Apple AirPods Max Wireless Over-Ear Headphones ($469-$539)
If you're teen has been vying for the Apple AirPods Max Headphones, there's no better time to treat them than the holiday season. Not only are they a durable, high quality pair of noise-canceling headphones, but they also come in a ton of different colors. The price and color options vary depending on if you decide to get the older model with the lightning charging port or the newer model with the USB-C charging port. Even our own PS editor had "no regrets" making the splurge, as detailed in this Apple AirPods Max Headphones review.
Editor Quote: "The sound on the AirPods Max is extremely clear — I've never had any issues with music sounding far away or "tinny." I can hear every single word of Death Cab For Cutie's "Title and Registration" as if Ben Gibbard himself were singing into my ears." - Renee Rodriguez, staff writer and social producer
— Additional reporting by Anvita Reddy and Abbey Stone
Haley Lyndes was an assistant editor for PS Shopping where she found and tested the best home, beauty, and fashion products. She is a graduate of Northern Vermont University and has nearly five years of experience in both written and broadcast journalism.
Anvita Reddy (she/her) is an assistant editor for PS Shopping. She has a passion for products and reviews home gadgets, cookware, tech, and more. Having dealt with acne as a teenager and into adulthood, her expertise lies in beauty. She tests skin care, makeup, and hair care, plus countless other beauty products.
Abbey Stone is a former interim content director of Wellness at PS.