In this article
Some surefire signs the person you’re shopping for is a member of Gen Z: They eat dinner on mismatched plates but have an extensive skin-care routine to combat signs of aging (or adult acne). They have a decked-out bar cart but still eat Eggo waffles for breakfast. They had to explain what brat meant to more people than they can count but still don’t totally understand why Gen Alpha is into the term skibidi. As a member of Gen Z myself, I’m constantly living these dichotomies, and I can tell you our taste is particular.
Here’s what else I know: The best gifts for Gen-Zers are those that qualify as a life upgrade, like the real version of the beauty dupe they found on TikTok or a nice travel accessory for their weekend trips upstate. With that in mind, I compiled this list by tapping into my own experience as a real-life member of Gen Z, plus the wisdom I’ve gained as the Strategist’s college correspondent. I also noodled through our archives to find gifts that seemed particularly relevant to my generation. I’ve organized everything by price for your convenience. And if you’re looking for ideas for everyone else on your list, we’ve got dozens more gift guides for every type of person and every budget.
Update on December 10, 2024: Updated prices and checked stock for all products.
Under $25
These bubble headbands are everywhere on SkinTok, so if your giftee has a multistep skin-care routine, this will be a welcome gift to keep stray hairs out of their serums.
A good ice cube is key whether they prefer a Sleepy Girl Mocktail or a whiskey on the rocks, and most apartments that a Gen-Zer can afford won’t include a fridge with an ice machine. This ice tray is a step up from the suspicious one they found in their studio apartment’s fridge.
The Gen Z–to–Swiftie pipeline is strong, and any terminally online Swiftie will know that these sparkle patches are the same ones that Taylor Swift wore to a Chiefs game in October. But whether the Gen Z-er is a Swiftie or not, these sparkles are a fun accessory for a night out and were the highlight of my most recent pre-game.
I run in a liberal-arts-college-heavy crowd, and I’ve been seeing more and more blue lashes recently. Strategist beauty writer Rachael Griffiths, a fellow Gen-Zer, says this one is the best. Consider it for the Vassar or Oberlin class of 2024 grad.
I imagine this timer would be best for the friend who laments their pre-TikTok attention span.
This gadget is the secret behind many an influencer’s OOTD video — and makes the perfect gift for a fledgling content creator. It features 24 suction cups that will attach their phone to windows and mirrors so they can take hands-free videos and selfies.
For those embracing the bag-charm trend, consider this rather meta bag-shaped one from Baggu, a favorite brand of Gen Z. If they’d prefer something a little less literal, Anthropologie has some cute charm stacks, too, including this one that’s complete with crocheted cherries and some bejeweled lips.
For most Gen-Zers, long gone are the days when a dirty martini at dinner won’t cause a headache the next day. Griffiths found this anti-inflammatory vitamin drink left her feeling “fresh and well rested” after an evening of “just-about-tipsiness” drinking.
As Taylor Swift once said, “My friends all smell like weed or little babies.”
My friends and I all long for the day when we can afford a Le Creuset Dutch oven. In the meantime, I’d be grateful for a Le Creuset espresso cup. It’s best for the person who’s still using their dorm mug for every warm beverage.
Jellycats continue to be a plushie du jour, specifically those from the Amuseables collection. While Liz Gremer, a recent graduate of University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, keeps an adorable sun on her bed, I’m loyal to my petit croissant.
I’ve been seeing more disposables than polaroids as of late both IRL and via Instagram photo dumps. Get them a two-pack so they don’t have to worry about running out of shots.
Under $50
Like many folks my age, I was raised on the likes of Sandra Boynton’s Barnyard Dance! and Horns to Toes. It turns out the queen of children’s books makes coffee, too.
Whether or not they experienced Zoom school, most members of Gen Z graduated into a strong WFH culture. The pleasures of working from bed are curtailed by mid-20s back pain, which Strategist writer Kitty Guo has addressed, in part, with this massage tool.
First jobs, first apartments, and other ups and downs of their 20-somethings might be keeping them up at night. Lucy Harris, a student at the University of North Carolina Wilmington, received this weighted sleep mask as a gift and says, “I’ll just stick that on and I’ll sleep like a baby.”
Perhaps it’s nostalgia or perhaps it’s the yearning to one day be able to afford a dog, but the Gen Z love for Snoopy is no joke. They can use this tennis Snoopy catchall to keep track of everything from loose coins to AirPod cases. (It’s also reminiscent of this summer’s Challengers aesthetic for anyone who’s still calling it the movie of the year.)
Baggu’s signature playful patterns were everywhere on my college campus, and I see them all over New York, too. If they haven’t gotten around to buying a laptop case yet, consider gifting them this puffy laptop sleeve, which I use to carry my work laptop.
According to our friends at the Cut, your first tarot deck is best received as a gift, so if they check their Co-Star everyday, it might be time for them to get into tarot reading.
Many a Gen-Zer follows influencer Campbell “Pookie” Puckett, who told me she can’t live without this blush, which she puts on her nose, lips, and, of course, her cheeks.
And if they’ve been using the NYX Fat Oil Lip Drip ever since they saw a TikTok that said it’s a dupe for Dior’s Lip Glow Oil, do them a favor and get them the real thing. (Pro tip: Our beauty columnist Rio Viera-Newton found that if you order the product straight from Dior’s website, it’s delivered in a lavish Dior box.)
All my friends wanted to visit the recent Fishwife pop-up, so I’m not surprised that Gen-Z pop girlie Remi Wolf is riding the tinned-fish trend, too. “I’ll make a salad or I’ll make quinoa — literally anything — and I’ll add this,” she told us.
On that note, I have no doubt that this buzzy (yet high-quality) oliv-oil duo would be the most stolen item at a Gen-Z White Elephant party. The draw comes from the squeeze-bottle packaging, which allows for easy drizzling and dousing without the mess.
If they haven’t looked back since watching Chloe Ting’s workout videos during the pandemic, this protein powder will help them gain and retain muscle. Our fitness writer Jeremy Rellosa says this one is the best because it mixes easily into other foods, such as oatmeal and shakes.
Under $100
For those who are taking advantage of their PTO and three-day weekends, this travel pillow will make flights more comfortable. Our travel writer Katherine Gillespie uses it when she travels 23 hours back home to Australia.
Pair it with this little device that will connect Bluetooth headphones to an in-flight TV so they can watch reruns of Friends or Gossip Girl.
This is the era when they start hosting dinner parties, and they’ll need some linens to elevate their tablescape. Saanya Ali, the founder of the hosting and entertaining site Soirée, has these darling scalloped place mats from BedThreads on her wish list.
Any bathrobe is a step up from a towel. This one from Brooklinen also happens to be the very best, according to Strategist writer Ambar Pardilla, the steward of our bathrobe content. She says it’s “everything I want a robe to be: comfortable, soft, and absorbent.”
Gremer has been seeing these weights all over Instagram and consequently has them on her wish list. They’re perfect for the Gen-Zer who’s still serious about her “Hot Girl Walks.”
I’ve been trying to incorporate fresh flowers into my adult life, so I’m always grateful when a friend brings me a bouquet. This Instagrammable bouquet box will arrive right at their door and includes ten seasonal stems in a mini-bouquet and up to 18 in the regular.
Strategist junior writer Brenley Goertzen, a fellow Gen-Zer, says this is the best thing she purchased last year. Since the vanity case is designed so that every product has a designated spot, she says, “The case also allows me to take my entire beauty regime from my bathroom at home to gym locker rooms, road trips up North, and even across international borders.”
If they can’t decide whether they prefer ankle or crew socks, help them settle in the middle. (This pair from Gap is a more affordable option that’s been living at the top of my sock drawer.)
John Morris recently graduated from Wheaton College and is filling his adult life with hikes in the White Mountains. He received this adjustable shoulder bag for his day hikes and says it’s “the perfect size for when you don’t need to bring a whole lot of stuff.”
Replace their tired Hydroflask with this foam roller–slash–water bottle that they can use to stretch out after a run, hike, or pilates class. Rellosa even used it while waiting for his connecting flight.
Since adulting is expensive and losing essentials like luggage and wallets adds up quickly, these AirTags are nice insurance for the Gen-Zer who can’t keep track of their belongings.
Under $200
When life feels uncertain, a pair of matching pajamas is a nice dose of normalcy. My parents gave me a pair of Eberjey pajamas — the Strategist’s Best in Class pick — and I feel like royalty whenever I wear them because they’re soft, smooth, and breathable all night long.
If they’re still perfecting their work-from-home setup, they might appreciate this pop-up desk that our tech writer Jordan McMahon uses in coffee shops. It includes a wireless keyboard, track pad, and a holding case that transforms into a laptop stand.
Then for summer Fridays and long weekends, they can use this garment bag that doubles as a duffel, which has probably shown up on their Instagram explore page or TikTok “For You” page. That was the case for Griffiths, who put the bag to the test and found that her “satin dress and chiffon skirt remained delightfully crease free” throughout her travels.
We members of Gen Z do, actually, always appreciate another bottle of wine. This wine subscription service will send four bottles a month for $99 a shipment.
With Sex and the City now on Netflix, many Gen Z — including me — are now discovering (or rediscovering) the world of Carrie, Miranda, Charlotte, and Samantha. If they love Carrie’s nameplate necklace, they might appreciate one of their own. Tiny Tags sent me one with my own name, and I’ve been wearing it nonstop since it arrived.
Despite her looming credit-card debt at the time, Strategist senior editor Winnie Yang insisted on buying this dinnerware from Heath for the dinner parties she hosted in the aughts. A decade and a half later, the set has withstood wear and tear from thousands of meals, meaning that these will last them far beyond their 20s.
For the Gen-Zer who passes their Saturdays waiting their turn at the Hudson River Pickleball courts, this portable pickleball net will help them set up their own makeshift court.
$200 and up
Strategist deals editor Sam Daly, sleep writer Amelia Jerden, and I have all recently upgraded our headphones to the AirPods Pro and aren’t looking back. “To no longer hear all the convos on the bus through my headphones is so nice,” Daly says.
No TV? No problem. This mini-projector has a built-in Bluetooth speaker and is easy to set up, so they can host The Bachelor watch parties.
For any Gen-Zer whose post-grad passion is taking advantage of three-day weekends, this travel pack from Cotopaxi will fit everything they need. Kate Bryar, a Northwestern alumna, took hers when traveling through 12 countries after she graduated college.
If they’ve been itching to join their friends at the vinyl shop, this record player is popular among turntable enthusiasts because it’s easy to use while still boasting high sound quality, according to McMahon.
Or you can upgrade their Bluetooth speaker with this one from JBL, which McMahon calls “a modern take on a lava lamp” that “sounds as good as it looks.”
Jerden polled her partner, a zillenial, about his wish list. On it is a new TV and a Nintendo Switch, which can be played in three modes: TV, tabletop, and handheld. Plus it’s compatible with the early-aughts classic Mario Kart.
Daly has been wishing for a cozy quilt but hasn’t bought one herself because they’re so expensive. She’s eyeing this one from our guide to quilts that’s hand-sewn and heirloom-worthy.
On that note, this weighted blanket completely transformed my post-college bed setup. It’s just heavy enough to provide some calming pressure, while also looking especially nice on my bed.
If you do want to spring for the Le Creuset: Jerden received a Le Creuset Dutch oven from her mom and thinks it’s “a nice upgrade for people in their mid to late 20s.”
The Strategist is designed to surface useful, expert recommendations for things to buy across the vast e-commerce landscape. Every product is independently selected by our team of editors, whom you can read about here. We update links when possible, but note that deals can expire and all prices are subject to change.
