We Found Out What Actual Teenagers Want For The Holidays

Sources close to teens reveal that these are the gifts they’re actually asking for.

If you have a teen in your life, you may be filled with stress about getting them something for the holidays that they actually want. While you could just ask them, anyone who actually spends any time around teenagers knows that direct communication can be a skill that comes to them later in life (that is, if it ever comes at all).

To help you on your gift-giving journey, we asked followers of the HuffPost Parenting Facebook page for the gifts forthcoming teens have asked for this holiday season and/or gifts that crushed it in the past. Like teenagers themselves, the suggestions run the gambit. From video game controllers to vegetarian cookbooks, it seems there’s something for every type of teen here. There are even some options you can enjoy as a family, a huge feat when it comes to teens.

We hope you find something good for every adolescent on your list, and if some of the options catch your eye for yourself, well, we won’t tell anyone.

1. Experiences

Stubhub

The most-suggested gift teens have asked for wasn't even a physical gift — it was a fun experience. On Facebook, parents LaTisha Osborne Spice, Heather Holleran, Michelle Tanzola, Jill Spainhour all report taking happy teens to concerts, sports, movies, amusement parks, or museums.

StubHub is a ticket site that lets you look for all sorts of cool events in your area. You can even get your teen a gift card, so they can choose their own event.

Check out StubHub for tickets or get a gift card starting at $25.

2. Cologne

amazon.com, amazon.com

On Facebook, parents Jill Spainhour, Nicole Weick, Metta Ann all said their teen boys are asking for cologne. This is one of those clever parenting trick opportunities: You can pick something you don't mind smelling so that you do not live in a home smelling of Axe.

While none of the parents listed a specific cologne, we did our own homework to find two beloved, non-offensive scents that feel appropriate for someone with a learner's permit: A solid stocking stuffer option, Adidas Moves is a fresh scent that reviewers say is not not overbearing, and the packaging feels sporty and not over the top. For a splurgy option, Ralph Lauren Polo Blue is a timeless classic. It's a crisp scent featuring citrus, sage and suede, with one review saying it helped a younger teen with his social confidence.

Promising review (for Adidas Moves): "Best smelling cologne I've ever bought! Amazing for the price, I have spent over a hundred dollars on other colognes but this still smell better! It is not super strong either, so you can control how strong it smells on you. I have just bought my third bottle of it and I will keep using it." —Jaron

"My husband has been wearing Polo Blue since we started dating as teens. The scent is powerful and long lasting but does not overpower the room or give me a headache like most fragrances do." —Rebekah Langston

Get the Adidas Move from Amazon for $10.75+ (available in two sizes) or get the Ralph Lauren's Polo Blue for $88+ (available in three sizes and a refill).

3. Spotify premium and a portable Bluetooth speaker

amazon.com, amazon.com

Facebook follower Laura Henson Leven, who didn't give her teen's specific age, said they are asking for Spotify premium with no ads, and BuzzFeed publisher Dao Nguyen said her 16-year-old loved getting a portable speaker to take their favorite playlists and podcasts with them on the go.

We love this JBL portable clip speaker that comes in fun colors and has up to 10 hours of playtime between charges. It's waterproof and dust-resistant, so it's great for taking on bike rides, to the beach or to soccer practice and has an easy clip, so your teen may be less likely to lose it. (Here's hoping.)

Promising review: "My 16-year old loves this speaker — everything from the color to the sound and the battery life. She clips it on to her backpack, on the mirror in the car, in the shower — everywhere! The sound quality is better than I had expected and if she is really playing her music, I can hear it clearly across the house in a clean crisp sound. It's impressive and worth it." —Caitlin LeClair

Get the speaker from Amazon for $49.99 (available in thirteen colors and two styles).

4. Nike clothing, like a sweatshirt or shorts

amazon.com, amazon.com

Two different parents, Jill SpainhourI and Kristin Stew, said their teens are asking for Nike clothing, namely hoodies and Nike Pro shorts. If your kid plays a ton of sports or just likes to be comfy, it's a quality brand they'll recognize. Plus, they're pretty neutral items that will easily fit into any teen's style. It's hard to go wrong with a basic hoodie.

Promising review (for the hoodie): "I bought this for my teen son. He wears it constantly. It's very soft and washed well. He's very happy with it." —Kathleen M. Hirsh

Promising review (for the shorts): "Bought these for my daughter to use to wear under her softball pants. She loves them. Fit true to size." —LisaL

Get a Nike sweatshirt from Amazon for $59.95+ (available in sizes XS—4XL and a variety of colors) or a pair of Nike shorts from Amazon for $20.99+ (available in sizes XS—3XL and 16 colors).

5. A six-pair pack of Nike socks

amazon.com

For her four boys between 15 and 20, Christine Anderson Skluzacek gave Nike crew socks their own mention. "Nike socks always go over with teen boys!" she said.

Promising review: "My feet just slide in them!!! So comfy! They stay white even after washing. Does it’s job well when it comes to staying dry after sweaty session. Usually wear them with my Nike Air Forces or Ugg slippers." —Elena

Get them from Amazon for $29.33+ (available in sizes XS—XXL and two colors). 

6. Xbox accessories

amazon.com, amazon.com

Sabrina Soros Kareha, a mom to a 17- and 19-year-old, and Jill Spainhour said their teens are asking for Xbox accessories, specifically a headset and a new controller. These can be great presents for grandparents or aunts/uncles to buy, as they're less expensive than the gaming console itself and are pretty universal. In other words, you may not know what kind of games your teen likes to play, but you know the Xbox headset will work with the Xbox.

Promising review: "This controller feels like it's of good quality and weight, it's easy to hold and feels slightly better then the controller my xbox originally came with. It was just delivered today so I guess time will tell on how it stands up throughout gaming. But 1st impressions are a 10/10, I would highly recommend." —Myranda

Get an Xbox controller from Amazon for $45.49 (available in 14 colors).

7. DoorDash gift cards

Doordash

Another Jedi mind trick that appears to be a present for a teen but is also kind of a present for you: Sabrina Soros Kareha suggested DoorDash gift cards.

"That way if they don't have the car or it's too late to drive, they can still get junk when they're in the mood for it," she said.

On a cold winter night when you're heading to bed, you don't have to do dishes, drive anywhere or hear complaints about how there is "no food in the house" and your teen gets nachos — win, win.

Get a digital gift card from Doordash for $25+

8. Cute earrings

Rowan

Parent Lisa Katzenberger said her 13-year-old daughter is asking for earrings. As a non-teenager with a bunch of piercings on my ears, I like the brand Rowan, which makes high-quality but pretty affordable earrings out of hypoallergenic material with no nickel, brass or zinc. In my experience, you can leave them in for weeks, while showering, sleeping, working out, etc., and not have any irritation or tarnishing.

The smaller studs and hoops are great for double holes (or wherever else on the ear) and tend to go with every style. I don't take mine out and wear them to both yoga and fancy dinners.

Get it from Rowan for $35+ (available in two colors).

9. Coffee flavor sets

amazon.com, amazon.com

If your teen is all about complicated TikTok coffee drinks, they may love a gift card to a local coffee shop. Yet Nguyen said a total gifting win was getting her 16-year-old a flavor syrup sampler set to make fun drinks at home. They'll love getting to play barista and you'll love not having to give them money for coffee.

Promising review: "I love this syrups, they all have such a great taste. I'm a caramel and vanilla girl and my fiance loves his mocha. I'm about to order some more. They are my favorite!" —Mirella

Get it from Amazon for $18.84+ (available in a variety of flavors and sets).

10. Real matcha with an electric frother

Golde

Nguyen also said she's successfully gifted her teen both real matcha and a frother to blend up the trendy green tea beverage and foam other hot drinks. 

Golde is a BIPOC-owned family business creating superfood-fueled products like delicious matcha blends. We love this set that comes with Japanese-made matcha and a rechargable frother.

Promising review: "I have been drinking Golde matcha for a while now and it is hands down the best matcha I’ve made at home." —Karen S.

Get the set from Golde for $50. 

11. Boba cups with big straws

Flora Customs Shop

If your teen also likes tapioca pearls or bubble tea, they'll love this glass tumbler made with a wider straw that fits boba, like Nguyen’s did. This one from Etsy can even be personalized. We also found an insulated, leakproof option on Amazon that has tons of 5-star reviews.

Promising review: "Very amazing customer service and adorable product! Also, shipped stupid fast! Everything was neatly wrapped and although it was all glass, not a single piece broke!" —Samantha 

Get it from Flora Customs Shop on Etsy for $16.

12. All sorts of Uggs

Nordstrom

Jessi Cremers said her teen asked for Ugg slippers, and Desiree Fletcher said hers specifically wanted mini Uggs. Either way, most teens would be excited to snag a pair of these trendy and warm winter shoes. They're a hot commodity, so they're often sold out in many stores, but we've found that Nordstrom has a pretty strong selection of sizes and colors.

Promising review: "I have always loved Uggs and these are no exception. They are very cozy and comfortable. I love the bottom soles." —Love2shop08 

Get them from Nordstrom for $119+ (slippers available in sizes 5—8 and five colors; boots available in 5—12 and five colors).

13. Comfortable pajama pants

Target

Carrie Mergens and LaTisha Osborne Spice said their teens love getting comfy pajama pants for the holidays. While you can always spring for a novelty pair, we love these cotton jogger-style pants from Target that are available up to a 5XL.

Promising review: "I got these for my bf and ended up buying one for myself as well. It hugs the body like a glove and it’s not thin either. Also very warm and good quality. Also they have pockets!" —Mila

Get them from Target for $20 (available in five sizes, four men's size groups, and four colors).

14. Small kitchen appliances

amazon.com, amazon.com

If your older teens are preparing to leave the nest, know that LaTisha Osborne Spice said one of her kids is asking for small kitchen appliances they can take with them to college or a new apartment.

We love the Instant Pot brand's air fryer not only because it's compact and colorful, but because it's super easy to use and can air fry, bake, roast and reheat.

Promising review: "I have the Instant Pot air fryer oven but I bought this one for the easy to cook stuff. I think it's the teens favorite and easiest (laziest) thing to use." —Janelle

Get it from Amazon for $59.01+ (available in four colors).

15. A mini fridge

amazon.com, amazon.com

Amber Conniff said her teen wants a mini fridge for their bedroom. This may also be something of a parent gift: less late-night noise in the kitchen rummaging around for snacks and more restful sleep for you.

Promising review: "I bought this as a high school graduation gift for a friend's daughter, and she absolutely loves it. It cost less the the one she was looking at, and is actually a bit larger, so that was a bonus." —Jhayde Andréa

Get it from Amazon for $188.98+ (available in four colors).

16. A vegetarian cookbook

Amazon

Nguyen said her 16-year-old previously “loved” the gift of a vegetarian cookbook. We like "The Weekday Vegetarians," which is a realistic cookbook made for making family dinners. If your teen is trying to cook for the whole house, they'll find some easy crowd-pleasers here.

Promising review: "So far, my kids have loved everything I’ve made from here! I was surprised, but the flavors are so good and appealing to my whole family." —Alison B.

Get it from Amazon for $16.39 (be sure to clip the coupon).

17. A Kindle Paperwhite

amazon.com, amazon.com

Lisa Katzenberger said her 13-year-old asked for "good" books, emphasizing the good, and Andrea Carlson Mendoza said her teen is asking for a Kindle Paperwhite e-reader that's easy to carry with them. If you're not sure what counts as a "good book" to a 13-year-old, a Kindle lets them pick whatever books they want and gets them off other screens.

Promising review: "My teen daughter attends a school that requires rather heavy summer reading which she always dreads. I bought her a Kindle to help make the reading easier and it is a game changer! She devoured the books quickly — the mandatory reading and also some pleasure reading books. Literally turned my teen from hating to read to loving it! 100% worth the investment." —Amazon Customer

Get it from Amazon for $149+ (available in various sizes, colors, and styles).

18. Big-ticket Lego sets

Lego

Legos are always kind of expensive, but by golly, adult Legos bring the tiny building blocks to a new level. For a big ticket gift, Laura Henson Leven, who didn't give her kid's ages, says her teens have asked for higher-end Lego sets, with this typewriter being a big hit.

Promising review: "Loved this. Reminds me of the typewriter my dad had years ago at his office. Great build, good, study frame and fun! Great details w the paper, etc. really a fun one!" —No Nickname

Get it from Amazon for $249.99.

Reviews have been edited for length and/or clarity.