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I have a few teenage nephews and I have to admit, they can be tough to buy for, because you don’t get much of a reaction from the12m whether they like the gift or not. Anyone with teenage boys in their life knows what I mean. My nephew Seb is a kind and creative teenage boy – well he’s 19 now, so just on the cusp of adulthood – but the past few years with him taught me a lot about being a cool aunt to a cool teenager. I hung out with him in enough skate parks to know that sneakers, gadgets, and gaming are winners. But pro tip, there’s room to be unpredictable; these guys can take themselves a bit too seriously, and sometimes a quirky gift can get you some teenage street-cred that will last for years to come.
Table of Contents
Hoverboard
Under $150 – if you’ve read any of my other gift guides, you probably know that I’m a child of the 80s/90s so I love Back to the Future. Look, hoverboards in that movie are definitely one of the coolest things ever, but unfortunately our technology just isn’t there yet, but the hoverboards we’ve invented to-date are pretty awesome. This Hover-1 Drive Electric Scooter has 6.5” wheels for a very smooth ride, LED lights for visibility, 320W motors that provide enough torque for inclines up to 10 degrees, and a top speed of 7mph over a 3 mile range. They have a built-in inertia dynamic stabilization system, which helps the ride control balance and motion for safe, stable riding. Look at it, it’s so cool.
Slides
Under $75 – I know what you’re thinking, ‘are these cool’? The answer is, yes, they are cool to both teenage boys and man-children alike (my partner has 3 pairs). I think they love the idea of being able to wear socks around the house, and then put on a pair of slides at a moment’s notice to head out for burgers with friends. Again, yes, you will see guys out wearing these out and about with socks on. I’ve bought a few brands of slides for myself and friends, and I recommend these Adidas slides for both comfort and style. They come in loads of different sizes and colors, with the classic 3-stripe design.
Neon light
Under $50 – this gift hits the brief from multiple angles, it is cool because neon is timelessly trendy, and it’s in the shape of a gaming controller, which is a very funky way of illuminating any teenager’s bedroom or game room. This Neon Gaming Light is a good size to fit above a study table or bedhead, and lights up blue with bits of green, yellow and red, which will give any room a cool glow. It’s easy to hang and comes with a l5V low-voltage USB power cord.
Charging station
Under $50 – if the teenage boy you’re buying for is anything like my nephews, they already have tech gadgets galore. So what do you get when they already have every Apple product; a 3-in-1 Charging Station, of course! This one comes in a very stylish aluminum finish, which goes so well with all their Apple gear. They can charge their Apple watch, iPhone and air pods neatly and efficiently in one-go.
Workout pants
Under $75 – you’re probably thinking the same thing about this gift idea as you did about the slides, right? Well, I’m here to tell you that workout pants are cool, yep. Some guys will actually wear them to workout as the sporty gifts are advertised, as they were intended; however other cool kids will just wear them out, and yes, you guessed it, paired with their favorite slides. Under Armour is a brand that gets endorsed by enough pro athletes that makes it a respectable brand that teenage boys will like. These Under Armour workout pants come in some classic and trendy colors: black, grey and blue, and plenty of sizes from x-small to 4x-tall.
Portable waterproof speaker
Under $50 – this gift is great for a teenager’s birthday, white elephant gift, or even as a stocking stuffer. The JBL Clip 3 is a portable, waterproof bluetooth speaker that has up to 10 hours of play-time, with crystal-clear sound thanks to noise and echo-cancelling speakerphone. It’s small enough that teenagers can just throw it in their bag and take it anywhere, and powerful enough to bring high-quality sound to indoor or outdoor adventures. For me, this is one of the safest gift picks for a teenager, because even if they already have a bluetooth speaker, the versatility and compactness of this one will make any recipient happy.
Gaming keyboard
Under $50 – I bought this recently as a christmas gift and it was a winner, partly because my friend asked for it specifically, but also because it’s just plain cool. Whether the teenage boy you’re buying for is a gamer, or not (it might be a great gift for a child programmer too), this Mini Backlit Hot Swappable Keyboard will add spark to any desktop. It doesn’t have a numpad, but this purposeful design means that gamers have more space for mouse movements. The linear switch means that at the beginning and end of each keystrokes is nearly identical, making it feel smoother and faster. The backlit has 8 monochrome modes, and 1 full color mode. It’s compatible with Windows, MacOS and Android.
Herschel backpack
Under $100 – a backpack is one of those things all teenagers need, but a Herschel Backpack is function and form put together. There are a few iconic backpack brands out there, Herschel, Fjallraven Kanken and Rains to name a few, but Herschel has to be the best, and my personal favorite. It’s design is iconically cool, and I don’t think any other brand does anything similar or better. This retreat style backpack is trendy, and with 19.5L of space is big enough for either school, play or getting away. It comes in dozens of different color combinations, but the classic black and brown is my pick.
Gaming headset
Under $75 – this gift is something I have to give my nieces and nephews credit for – they are all big gamers. For us oldies, this might seem like a far-fetched concept but gaming is actually a very social activity; my nieces and nephews play online together and with other friends and strangers all over the world. This Bengoo Stereo Gaming Headset connects them with their gaming compadres with surrounding stereo subwoofer, noise isolating microphone, soft over-ear pads, and LED lights to add to the gaming atmosphere. It comes in over half a dozen different colors, so players can pick their favorite palette.
Nintendo Switch
Under $400 – this gift was a very close second, for the ‘hero gift’ status, but look it is still definitely one of the coolest gifts you can buy a teenage boy or girl for a special occasion. The console starts from about $300 so it isn’t cheap, but for a 16th or 18th birthday, it’s well worth it. The unique thing about the Nintendo Switch is that it has 3 play styles: TV mode, tabletop mode or hand-held mode, which means you can play it at home or out-and-about, and you know how much kids and teens love to have entertainment on-the-go. It has a 6.2 inch multi-touch screen, and up to 9 hours battery life. The great thing about this gift is that you can have fun with it as well!
HERO GIFT: Playstation 5 (PS5)
Under $550 – I feel like this hero gift should be accompanied by a grand musical score to unveil it, one that you’d hear in a sci-fi movie. It wasn’t hard to crown the Playstation 5 the king of gifts for teenage boys, or boys of any age really. It comes at a hefty price tag, but similarly with the Nintendo Switch, it’s definitely worth it for a special occasion, or a special kid. The PlayStation 5 (PS5) console is the newest and one of the most anticipated gaming consoles, with ultra-high speed SSD, ray tracing that brings a new level of realism to gaming, HDR technology, and haptic feedback controllers. It’s one of those gifts that doesn’t really need an introduction, it speaks for itself.