Finding the perfect birthday gift for a loved one can be a fun shopping activity, but if you aren’t blessed with a gifting instinct, you might find the task daunting or stressful. After all, selecting a gift can be hard enough if you know the recipient well. But what if you don’t know them very well? Or they’re the person who already has everything? Or you’ve gotten them the same thing year in and year out and want to try something new this time?
Whatever reason you have for being stumped, you’re definitely not the first — but we’re here to help. We came up with a bunch of great birthday gift ideas for adults that are real crowd-pleasers, so you can find something suitable no matter who you’re shopping for. From the practical to the indulgent, nostalgic and out-of-the-box, these gifts can make this birthday your loved one’s best one yet.
If the price of Apple AirPods doesn’t fit within your gifting budget, you can still gift a great pair of noise-canceling earbuds in the Tozo NC9s. Multiple reviewers compare these favorably to AirPods for the sound quality, battery life and noise-canceling capabilities. The NC9s have active noise cancellation as well as a transparency mode, can last over 13 hours on a single charge and can connect through one-step Bluetooth pairing with your recipient’s other devices.
We’ve covered this neck light before for its many practical uses: Your recipient can wear it to read, work, draw, knit and more without using their hands or relying on an overhead light. If you’re shopping for someone with a partner, the light’s three color temperature and six brightness level modes allow them to use the light in bed without disturbing their partner’s rest (the light also has a narrow 90-degree beam). You can get a neck light in seven colors.
This 2-quart cold brew coffee maker is perfect for the person who needs caffeine in the morning but doesn’t want to spend tons of time or money on their coffee. Available in black, gray or silver (for gray, you can choose between a handle or no handle), the cold brew maker includes a dishwasher-safe glass mason jar, stainless steel mesh filter and leakrpoof plastic lid with a flip cap pour spout. The coffee maker is also travel-friendly, so your recipient can take it with them to the office or on the go.
Promising review: “I was given this as a gift and liked it so much. I ordered a second one for my families vacation home. It works great without the pain of having to boil water for tea.. you can make a great cold brew coffee in that container with the only issue being possibly drags on the bottom with coffee.” — Kayren Mingus
It’s usually hard to go wrong with gifting a scented candle. This 18-ounce candle by Voluspa in the scent Goji Tarocco Orange looks as striking as it smells, with an intricately embossed glass jar and notes of goji berry, mango and blood orange. The candle has an approximate burn time of 100 hours, and your recipient can reuse the glass jar afterward for display and/or storage, making this a luxurious and practical gift idea.
Promising Amazon review: “I’ve loved this candle scent and look for years. This is the 4th time purchasing it over the last few years. This time I purchased it as a gift for an a my adult nephew that commented on how much he liked the scent…so it’s not too flowery for manly-men to enjoy. The price is a bit steep, but it lasts quite a long time and the fragrance fills the room after only a few minutes burn time. The glass jar is beautiful and adds a nice look to the room. I hope Amazon continues to carry it because it can be difficult to find in stores.” — Jager
It’s probably a safe bet your recipient doesn’t have something like the Cup Cozy Pillow yet, given its unique function. Whether their car doesn’t have enough cup holders, their remote keeps getting stuck between couch cushions or they want more snacks and drinks near their bed without the risk of spilling, this portable holder can come to the rescue.
It has five expandable cup holes with built-in coasters for drinks, snacks, remotes, a glasses case and more. The insulated foam is designed to maintain drinks’ hot or cold temperatures, and the soft outside fabric — available in a range of colors and patterns — make this more comfortable to have on the couch or bed than a tray.
Promising review: “Since getting our new couch, my husband and I wanted to take extra precautions in preserving its “newness” for as long as possible. I had previously purchased a couch arm drink holder. Which essentially was a hard surface that hung over the arm of the couch. This was nice but moved around easily and could be knocked over Within a matter of seconds. After searching the web, I came across this product and ordered it to see if it was worth the hype! IT IS! What I love is the fact that I am no restricted to sitting next to the arm of my couch. I can sit anywhere and still maintain positive control of my drinks! Would definitely recommend as a gift to anyone looking to keep drinks around them as they are gaming/hanging out/doing homework in their bedrooms or living room.” — Alicia Guajardo
If your gift recipient wants to hone their cooking skills (or just not have to think about grocery shopping), a gift card for the Hello Fresh meal kit service may be a welcome surprise. They can then choose from all of Hello Fresh’s recipes and will get the recipe cards and perfectly portioned ingredients delivered to their front door for a filling, fun meal without the hassle of going to the store.
Your recipient will have to make an account to get their order confirmation, but using a gift card doesn’t lock them into a Hello Fresh subscription, so this can be a good way for them to test out the service and see if they like it. Gift cards can be bought in set amounts starting at $75.
For a retro-style gift that can become a conversation starter, this old-school reel viewer is customizable with seven photos (the viewer comes with a redemption code which you can use to upload the photos yourself, and then the reel ships separately in the next seven to 10 days). The viewer comes in four colors, and you can also purchase a wooden reel holder that’s also shaped like a viewer for extra decor.
A regular photobook just doesn’t have the same oomph as this interactive gift — think of how much fun your recipient will have looking back at the good old days in the good old way.
Promising review: “Solidly made and the photo quality is great on the reels. Easy UI to create and customize the photos and you can save the template if you ever need to replace a reel. Enjoy looking through the reels every so often with my family, especially fun for the kiddos since one reel is all baby pictures. Always prefer having tangible goods for looking through photos.” — Photog Ben
Shopping for someone who’s always scrolling through skin care advice on TikTok, or someone curious about K-beauty? The Cosrx Glass Skin starter set includes two bottles of a viral product they might have had their eye on: Cosrx’s HuffPost reader-beloved snail mucin essence.
Snail mucin is the slimy secretion snails produce, and while it can sound kind of gross, it has hydrating and lubricating properties. This essence, which is 96.3% mucin, aims to soothe damaged skin, reduce the appearance of dark spots and address fine lines.
For less than the price of one full-sized essence bottle (which typically retails for $18), you can buy this gift set with two full-sized bottles as well as a sample size retinol cream.
If you didn’t know, now you know: Adults love Lego sets too. This bonsai tree set is perennially popular, with a so-close-to-perfect 4.9-star rating across more than 22,000 Amazon reviews. It has 878 pieces that join together to make a beautiful bonsai tree, with the option to use green leaves or cherry blossoms as the final touch (your recipient can always switch them out).
Best of all, after your recipient is done having fun building the tree, they can display their work on their desk, on a windowsill or anywhere else they’d like to add some unique decor.
Another big hit among our readers, the Fullstar vegetable chopper can become a mainstay in your recipient’s kitchen to help them chop ingredients with ease and efficiency. Perfect for those with limited mobility (or those who just find chopping vegetables by hand to be tedious), the chopper has four interchangeable blades for different sizes and shapes, has a safety lock feature and finger guard, and comes with cleaning supplies to get any remaining bits of food out (the chopper is also dishwasher-safe).
Clip the on-page coupon for a discount applied at checkout.
Promising review: “If you’re thinking of getting this for yourself or as a gift, get it! I purchased this as a gift for my father since his arthritis has made chopping an unenjoyable task. He is OBSESSED! This saves time and creates less mess. The versatility is wonderful and the various sizes for slicing/chopping is a bonus! It’s compact and doesn’t take up much room in the storage area of the kitchen. My aunt loved it so much she ordered one for herself and a gift for someone else! Truly great and highly recommended!” — Hannah Jean
Hikers, beachgoers and campers alike can get some serious use out of a portable speaker. At less than 5 inches long, the Altec Lansing Mini H2O speaker is so compact it fits in a pants pocket, according to one reviewer, but don’t be fooled: This small speaker packs a punch, with a six-hour battery life and a stable Bluetooth connection up to 30 feet away.
The speaker also has an IP67 waterproof certification and is described as “everythingproof,” so your recipient can float it in water or take it through the great outdoors without worrying about damaging it. Available in six colors, the speaker comes with a carabiner clip to attach to a backpack, belt loop and more.
Promising review: “I gave these as stocking stuffers to my outdoorsy friends. All I can say is that they were a HIT! Two have told me they love clipping them to their packs (carbiner included) and they provide nice sound considering the acoustic challenge in a unit this size. I’m going to get a few more for gifts and one for ME.” — Bennett M. Cohen
For someone who’s always on the go, a set of packing cubes can save them the headache of constantly playing Tetris with their luggage contents. This six-piece set from Bagsmart has an extra compression zipper on all the cubes to pack more into less space, and comes with a shoe bag as well as two small, two medium and one large cube.
Some other cool features your favorite traveler can appreciate: two separated compartments in the shoe bag to keep clean and dirty items apart, a portable handle and custom label on each bag for easy transport and organization and a breathable mesh fabric that lets them see the contents inside. You can get the set in a bunch of colors.
Promising Amazon review: “I wish I had taken a pic of my luggage but I will for my next trip in August and update later. I’m not one to pack lightly so when I packed many many outfits for only a 4 day trip I was thoroughly impressed with how compact everything was and how nicely it fit in my suitcase. Opening it up was a breeze. I didn’t have to worry about my clothes going all over the place. I have my family now wanting to get their own. May just gift them for bdays. Highly recommend!” — marij14
How chic is the green and gold packaging on this Tree of Life advanced regimen skin care set? Luckily, the contents are just as nice, too. Complete with four 1-ounce niacinamide, vitamin C, hyaluronic acid and retinol serums, this set can help your recipient pamper their skin to leave it hydrated, glowing and smooth. If you’re looking for a gift that falls more on the indulgent side, this is a good bet, and all of the products are dermatologist-tested and suitable for sensitive skin.
Promising review: “Not only is this product inexpensive, but it works better than all the other more expensive products that I’ve tried. My skin is smoother, more even and it glows! I loved this trio so much that I bought it as gifts for my mom and SIL.” — Amy Streed
This lightweight, large-capacity sling bag can fit a 12-inch laptop or tablet in the main compartment and has other convenient features like a USB charging port that your recipient can connect their power bank to to charge their devices, and a hidden earphone hole so they can always have access to their music or podcasts on the go. The bag also has a water bottle holder, umbrella pocket, phone pocket on the reversible, adjustable strap and an anti-theft back pocket. Whether your recipient is taking this bag to the office, on a hike, on the plane or somewhere else entirely, this can hold their essentials in a stylish, functional way. Get the bag in two colors.
If your recipient’s mornings usually involve a protein shake or smoothie, a personal blender like this one can be a great practical gift — no more getting out the heavy, huge blender from the cabinet and then having to wash it for just a single serving.
The two plastic jars, which your recipient can drink right out of after blending, can hold 28 ounces and are dishwasher-safe (as are the included to-go lids). The blender has four stainless steel blades and 300 watts of power. The blending is also easy to control with the press and hold of a button.
Promising review: “I bought this product as a gift for my wife because she wanted to make smoothies to have before she did her HIIT workouts in the mornings but we didn’t have the correct type of blender. I looked around and found this bullet blender and bought it as a surprise. She loves it. It’s easy to use, easy to clean and she has been enjoying her morning smoothies.” — todd abrams
It’s never a bad idea to buy your recipient a gift they’ll actually use all the time, and this RFID-blocking leather wallet fits the bill. Tried and true with 4.6 stars across over 106,000 reviews, the slim wallet can hold up to 12 cards and has eight slots, including one with a visible window for an ID or badge. There’s a hidden pocket for bills and receipts and a finger hole so the most important card can easily be slid out in a flash.
Most importantly, the soft leather material has RFID-blocking technology to keep your recipient’s information safe while they’re out and about. The wallet is available in a ton of colors. This may not be the fanciest gift idea on our list, but reviewers who have gifted it before say their recipients have found it “life changing.”