At first glance, shopping for teen boys may seem like a daunting feat. They’re not the easiest folks to read, after all, plus their interests seem to switch from one thing to another faster than the changing of the seasons. However, finding gifts for teenage boys isn’t exactly the stone-cold whodunnit that initial impression might suggest. Fact is, there’s a whole world of potential presents out there that every hormone-infested, high-metabolism, and energetic young man in your shopping list is bound to look fondly upon.
There are some presents that can be a catch-all for most teen boys: a good bottle of cologne, a stylish ball cap, or a cool pocket knife almost always does the trick. If you know them well, you can even choose a gift that’s more tailored to their interests. Physically active teens will definitely enjoy sports equipment, fitness gear, and gifts in a similar vein, while techie teens should appreciate fresh gadgets, gaming gear, and electronic tools. Fashionable teen boys will absolutely love style gifts that properly suit their style, while art supplies, fabrication gear, and design tools should work well with the creative teens in your list.
Suffice to say, there’s no shortage of good presents you can find for the teenage boys in your list. Here are some of our favorites.
Adidas Moves for Men
This cologne has been around since 1999 and has been a teen favorite since then. For good reason, too, as it has this refreshing scent that’s equal parts masculine and easygoing, making it an ideal fragrance for young people to wear. We actually love this scent, which is pleasant but never overpowering, all while sticking around for most of the day. Seriously, put some on in the morning and you can still smell the subtle scent when the evening rolls around.
Jason Markk Shoe Cleaner Essentials
For the teenage boy with a sneaker collection, this shoe cleaning starter set gives them everything they need to take care of their beloved kicks. It includes a premium shoe cleaning solution that can clean and condition all sneaker materials, including leather, knit, suede, nubuck, cotton, and more, as well as their Repel solution, which gives your sneakers a durable coating that allows it to resist all liquids and stains. They also throw in dual-textured microfiber wipes for removing tougher stains, a stiff shoe brush, and a premium brush for delicate materials. It’s a great way to give your teen some extra responsibility in taking care of his stuff, with the added bonus of helping keep his shoe game looking fresh.
Zuru XShot Hyper Gel Trace Fire Blaster
Foam blasters are fun and all, but you have to admit, teen boys will probably want something gnarlier than what they used to play with in elementary. Gel blasters take their backyard and park battles to the next level. This XShot blaster, for instance, can hold 600 gel pellets in its hopper, with another 850 in the mag for refills, allowing them to unleash absolute mayhem for extended periods. Even better, this motorized blaster can shoot those pellets in full-auto and semi-auto modes to really rain down on exposed targets, all while sending its ammo streaking in the air at speeds of 170 feet per second. Don’t worry, the gel pellets are very soft, so they don’t really hurt (not much, anyway), although you will still want to wear protective eyewear, since a soft projectile moving that fast can still be pretty painful when it hits you in the eye. Other than that, though, this is an absolute blast of a toy that teens will really love.
SCUF Exo Ergonomic Posture Cushion
For the teen who spends hours mashing buttons on a controller, this accessory, basically, serves as a cushioned lap desk, giving them a comfy surface to rest their elbows, forearms, and wrists, allowing them to play for hours without any strain on the arms, back, and shoulders. It’s a veritable godsend for the countless gamers out there who play on a couch or in bed. Aside from console gamers, this cushion can also benefit mobile gamers, handheld gamers, and people who actually use their laptops on their laps, as it provides the same handy surface for resting your elbows and forearms. Even better, this cushion is inflatable, so you can deflate it and stash it in a bag for taking with you, so you can enjoy the same benefits outside the house.
YETI Rambler 26oz Bottle with Chug Cap
Yes, it’s not the most imaginative gift, but Yeti’s vacuum-insulated travel mug will still end up being one of their most used items, since you just can’t help but use it whenever you own one. Everything about it is just so good, from the potent insulation (keeps drinks cold and hot) and the shatter-resistant parts to the generous size and the carry handle on top. Heck, even its color coat is built to last with no fading, no peeling, and no cracking. This one comes with YETI’s Chug Cap, so you can drink out of it like a water bottle, which, we imagine, most teenage boys prefer when they’re really thirsty.
Hoka One One Ora Recovery Slide 3
For the sports-oriented teenage boy, these slip-ons have been hailed by many as the post-training footwear available today. While we can’t vouch for that, we can definitely attest to its incredible comfort, as it, basically, cradles your tired feet. You get that signature thick outsole that cushions your feet from the hard ground, an EVA midsole that delivers underfoot comfort, and built-in airflow channels on the upper strap to keep things breathable. Suffice to say, this is the footwear you want to slip on when your feet need a break from getting pummeled during athletic competition.
Big Joe Hug Bean Bag Chair
Bean bags have been the quintessential teenage boy furniture since we can remember. And this one will make an excellent seating furniture for your teenager’s bedroom, giving them a comfy place to plop down to watch TV, play a game, or scroll through TikTok for hours. It comes with armrests and a backrest for proper seating posture, while the structured stitching across the back panel allows it to wrap its occupant (hence, the “Hug” in the name) for a really comforting time. Features include a fluffy bean filling, a grab and go handle, and a locked zipper, so your filling doesn’t accidentally fall out (you can open the zipper, but there’s extra work involved).
SteelSeries Arctis 1 Gaming Headset
Designed for gaming, this wireless headset delivers excellent sound reproduction for games, allowing you to hear sounds accurately from every direction, with no lag in sound whatsoever, so you hear things exactly as they happen onscreen. It’s also extremely comfortable, allowing you to keep it on your ears for hours with no soreness or fatigue. The detachable microphone is equipped with the outfit’s ClearCast noise cancellation, ensuring your call outs come through loud and clear to your fellow players, while the wireless connection works seamlessly with the included dongle. Do note, this particular model works with PC, PS5, PS4, Switch, and Android, so if your recipient games on an Xbox, you’ll want to get them the Xbox-specific model.
Fjallraven Kanken
If your teenage recipient can use a new backpack, they might take a liking to this teen favorite, which is just one of the best-looking backpack designs we’ve seen in recent years. This is not the biggest backpack at 15 x 10.75 inches (height x width), so it might not end up being their everyday school pack, although it is roomy enough to accommodate a 15-inch laptop with a whole host of gear. It keeps gear protected with the water-resistant Vinylon F material and the two-way zipper with rain flap, while the structured shape, ergonomic shoulder straps, and dual carry handles make it easy to carry everywhere you go.
Soundbrenner Core
Forget the Apple Watch. For the teenage boy with a passion for guitar or some other string instrument, this wearable should make for a more interesting thing to put on their wrist. While it serves as a digital watch, it can also serve as a contact tuner that you can remove from its bezel and place directly on your instrument to help you find the right tuning for whatever tunes you want to play. It can also serve as a vibrating metronome that, the outfit claims, can deliver seven times stronger vibrations than a phone, allowing you to really feel each count, so you can time your playing accordingly. Even better, you can sync multiple watches over Bluetooth, so your entire band can play to the same metronome settings. There’s also a decibel meter function that alerts you when the prevailing volume reaches potentially harmful decibel thresholds, as well as basic notification functions when paired with your phone.
Xbox Series X
A current-gen game console will always be a beloved gift for teenage boys every holiday season. Why the Series X over the PS5? Mostly, it’s because of the value the Xbox Game Pass offers, along with Microsoft’s ever-growing roster of AAA studios and a much more robust game streaming service. It’s just an overall better offering at this point. Sure, Sony has had some good exclusives (the latest God of War and Spider-Man games, specifically), but Microsoft is projecting to have a lot of interesting exclusives, too, especially with their newer acquisitions. Ideally, you want to have both, but if you’re dialing down to one to give as a gift, we’re going with the Series X this time around.
Kodak Luma 450
Cool gadgets are always a great gift idea for teenage boys and this pocket-sized projector is definitely a cool thing to pull out of anyone’s pocket. While it won’t give your 4K home projector a run for its money, its combination of size and picture quality are downright unmatched in the category, allowing you to enjoy native 1080p images as big as 150 inches. It’s actually pretty nuts for a projector of this size, as it delivers 200 lumens of brightness, a 3500:1 contrast ratio, and 16.7 million colors, complete with instant focus optimization, automatic vertical keystone, and 100 percent offset to ensure you get a perfectly-aligned rectangular picture each time out. As you can imagine, though, the battery only lasts long enough to let you finish a movie (and a few short videos), so you’ll also want to keep a power bank around to keep it juiced.
Rad Power Bikes RadRover 6
Now, this is a real splurge, but if your teenager is going to be riding a bicycle anyway, might as well make it an electric bike. We’re particularly fond of this fat tire model, which is equipped with a 750W geared hub motor that can delivers 68 Nm of torque, allowing it to take on daunting inclines capably, while hitting speeds of up to 20 mph. It can run in pedal-assist mode for a maximum of 45 miles between charges, while the puncture-resistant 26 x 4 inch tires allow it to take on unpaved shortcuts and the occasional weekend trails with no troubles. Features include five levels of pedal assist, a half-twist throttle control, a seven-speed thumb shifter, a backlit LCD info screen, a removable semi-integrated battery, a 6061 aluminum alloy frame, and hydraulic disc brakes. It’s a really fun bike that makes that morning ride to school a heck of a lot more fun.
