Gifts for Moms, Dads, and Grads

Best graduation gifts for him: 50+ gift ideas

Get him something practical or fun to celebrate his accomplishments.
By Miller Kern  on 
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a man in red academic regalia smiling while wearing mortarboard
Credit: RODNAE Productions/Pexels

It’s getting to be that time of year again when a fresh batch of college seniors are preparing to be catapulted into full-on adulthood. If you know a guy who is gearing up to walk across that stage in a cap and gown to receive his diploma, but you're not sure what to get him to celebrate his special day, we’ve got a ton of great gift ideas that any grad will love this graduation season.

College graduation is the perfect time to shower hard-working young adults with awesome gifts. They’re about to enter into a completely new life stage — often on their own and without rigid structure for the first time ever. It’s exciting and a little scary too — but it also means there are so many different categories of gifts that graduates would be more than happy to receive. You can go the practical route and gift smart home devices or kitchen appliances, or you can opt for a more fun gift like gadgets or games. You could even venture into the wide world of subscription services for a gift that keeps giving long after graduation day.

Practical seems to be the standard for graduation gifting and you'll find lots of truly useful gifts in this guide. But don’t worry — we’ve also included some really fun gifts to help remind him that post-grad life is not just responsibility and routine. There’s also a selection of great sentimental gifts if you’re looking for something with a little more personal meaning to commemorate his great accomplishment.

That said, let’s dive into 50+ of the best college graduation gifts for men:

Echo Show

Best for the home

As your grad moves out of his college home, help him trade in shitty beer decorations for smart home devices. The Echo Show has a screen, meaning in addition to voice commands it can also show lyrics, weather forecasts, recipes, to-do lists — you name it. He can use the Show to play music, request a rideshare, order a pizza, and more.
Buying Options
$129.99 from Amazon Amazon Prime

MacBook Air

Best for productivity

Laptops tend to degrade after a few years and your graduate has likely been using the same one for the last four years. Upgrade him to a new MacBook Air. It's thin and lightweight and features a Retina display, Touch ID, the latest keyboard, and has all-day battery life.
Buying Options
$999 from Apple
Wall Street Journal
Credit: Wall Street Journal
SPONSORED

SPONSORED: A subscription to the Wall Street Journal

Best for news junkies

Help your grad stay informed with a subscription to the Wall Street Journal. This daily download covers the latest in technology news, financial insights, politics, and more. Business majors in particular will love the timely coverage of the Federal Reserve. For a limited time, take advantage of a special offer and pay just $1 a week.
Buying Options
See Details

Anker portable charger

Best for the grad on the go

Phones are honestly a necessity at this point. Don't let your favorite grad be left with a dead one. This portable charger from Anker can juice up his phone all the way multiple times just on one of its own charges. It's small enough that he can slip it in his bag or pocket wherever he goes.
Buying Options
$19.99 from Amazon Amazon Prime

50-inch 4K smart TV

Best for home entertainment

Another home upgrade here in case your grad has been watching Netflix on his laptop or a less-than-stellar TV. This smart TV is 50 inches, which is a really decent size for a new apartment living room or bedroom. It displays 4K Ultra HD content and has video streaming apps built in.
Buying Options
$449.99 from Amazon Amazon Prime

Amazon Fire TV Stick

Best for streaming

If a whole new TV is out of your budget, you can still *kind of* give the gift of a smart TV. The Amazon Fire TV Stick plugs into the HDMI port and gives standard televisions smart capabilities with access to streaming services and internet browsing.
Buying Options
$39.99 from Amazon Amazon Prime

Apple Watch

Best for the tech-obsessed

With an Apple Watch, the new graduate will be able to monitor his health, track workouts, and access apps and notifications. You can go for the model that just connects to WiFi or dish out a little more for the one with cellular connection.
Buying Options
$399 from Apple

Apple iPad Air

Best for taking tech on the go

A new laptop might not be the most feasible gift, but you can still surprise him with some new technology. This iPad Air has a 10.9-inch Retina display with up to 10 hours of battery life. It's available as either 64GB or 256GB, with or without cellular, and in several different colors.
Buying Options
$599 from Amazon Amazon Prime

Kindle Paperwhite e-reader

Best for the reader

Buying a Kindle as a grad gift is basically like gifting a library. He'll be able to access millions of titles and listen to books with Audible. Plus if you're not sure what genre your grad likes, this gift enables you to get him all of them. The Kindle Paperwhite is thin, light, and waterproof.
Buying Options
$129.99 from Amazon Amazon Prime
Weights and a ClassPass card on a blue background.
Credit: ClassPass

ClassPass credits

Best for the active grad

ClassPass gives the grad the ability to get his workout on at different gyms, so he can try out locations without the commitment. This also gives him more freedom to attend different types of fitness classes around his city. Speaking of cities, ClassPass isn't available everywhere, so make sure your grad's location is on the participating list.
Buying Options
See Details
Photo book from Shutterfly on a table.
Credit: Shutterfly

Photo book

Best for saving memories

If the grad has a bunch of senior photos he doesn't know what to do with, pop them into a photo book. This is a great, thoughtful way to display all those photos that might otherwise be lost to a Facebook album. Plus, you can write captions and sentimental notes throughout the book.

Backpack

Best for a bag upgrade

Ok, we know that a recent college grad has been carrying a backpack for most of his life, but this is the perfect time to upgrade to a more professional style. Depending on the line of work your grad is going into, he might need a good, put-together looking bag. This sleek backpack comes in three colors.
Buying Options
$159.99 from Amazon
Two people hugging on a Visa gift card
Credit: GiftCards.com

Visa gift card

Best for the grad with debt

Everyone talks about the broke college student, but what about the broke graduate in an entry-level job with student loan payments? That's who really needs some monetary help. Provide a little cushion for your grad as he enters the real world.
Buying Options
See Details
Boombox custom keepsake box on a white background.
Credit: Boombox Gifts

Boombox custom keepsake box

Best sentimental gift

Similar to a photo book, this one pulls at the heartstrings a bit. It's a box filled with letters and photos dedicated to the graduate. You can gift this alone or have collaborators work on it with you to give the grad a special keepsake box of memories.
Dipped strawberries from Shari's Berries
Credit: Shari's Berries

Shari's Berries

Best for the sweet tooth

Chocolate covered strawberries are a gift that can be enjoyed immediately. They're often something people crave but don't buy themselves. So, treat your favorite grad to some decadent treats to celebrate his accomplishments.
Restaurant gift card to Arby's on a white background.
Credit: GiftCards.com

Restaurant gift card

Best for a free meal

After four years of campus food and ramen, treat the grad to something else. Okay, he's definitely eaten out at some point in the last four years, but it's still nice to have someone else foot the bill. After all, adult life doesn't come with a meal plan.
Buying Options
See Details

Weighted blanket

Best for relaxation

One tough adjustment from college to adult life is transitioning to a regular sleep schedule. Weighted blankets are designed to help people sleep better by making them feel swaddled (like getting a hug) and my even help with the release of dopamine (the happy hormone.)
Buying Options
$94.99 from Amazon Amazon Prime
Bed Bath & Beyond gift card on a white background.
Credit: GiftCards.com

Bed Bath & Beyond gift card

Best for a new apartment

Graduating college often means moving. And stocking a new home with furniture and other essentials is not cheap. Help the grad out with a gift card to Bed Bath & Beyond where he can pick up some items to get his new house feeling like home.
Buying Options
See Details
Colorful mainstays towel set on a white background.
Credit: Mainstays

Towel set

Best for the bath

Get the new grad's bathroom off to a fresh start with a set of matching towels. This set comes with four bath towels, two hand towels, and four wash cloths. There's something so adult about having matching sets, and this one comes in eight different color choices.
Buying Options
$15.84 from Walmart

Casper pillow

Best for great sleep

As your grad is stocking his new home, one of the last things he's going to want to drop a lot of money on is a pillow. This luxury pillow from Casper supports all sleeping positions and responds to movement throughout the night. Plus, it's super comfortable.
Buying Options
$65 from Amazon Amazon Prime

Portable steamer

Best for neat clothes

If you know a new grad who hangs his clothes in the bathroom while he showers in an effort to combat wrinkles, upgrade him to a real steamer. This one is ready to use in two to three minutes and works with tap water. Plus, it's powerful enough to straighten out stiff cotton, linen, and denim.
Buying Options
$36.99 from Amazon

Roomba robot vacuum

Best for a tidy home

Give the gift of convenience with a vacuum that takes the work out of cleaning. The Roomba 694 allows your grad to schedule cleaning across multiple floor types. The robot vacuum can even sense concentrated areas of dirt and work harder in those sections.
Buying Options
$274.99 from Amazon
Two-way coffee maker from Hamilton Beach on a kitchen counter.
Credit: Hamilton Beach

Two-way coffee maker

Best for daily energy boosts

This coffee maker can handle a grad who can run on one cup or needs a whole pot of joe to make it through the morning. It acts as a single-serve with a spout tall enough to fit a travel mug and can fill a 12-cup carafe, which is included with the machine.
Buying Options
$90.99 from Walmart
InnoGear essential oil diffuser with essential oils
Credit: InnoGear

Essential oil diffuser

Best for aromatherapy

Add some zen to the graduate's life with an essential oil diffuser. This one cycles through seven colored lights, and has multiple mist diffuse modes. It also comes with a set of six aromatherapy oils that’ll bring some fresh scents to his bachelor pad.
Buying Options
$37.99 from Amazon
Instant Pot on a kitchen counter.
Credit: Instant Pot

Instant Pot

Best for making easy meals

Even if your grad isn't the best cook, he'll be able to make some pretty stellar meals with an Instant Pot. It's seven appliances in one, including slow cooker, pressure cooker, and sauté pan. He's able to set the Instant Pot on a timer and come back to it when his food is ready. It's a great gift for someone who wants to meal prep for one.
Buying Options
$99.99 from Amazon
man wearing bathrobe
Credit: Amazon Essentials

Bath robe

Best for lounging

Help the new grad feel cozy after his showers with this soft and breathable waffle-knit robe. It drops down to mid calf, has adjustable belt loops, and features two front pockets. It also comes in many colors and sizes for the perfect fit.
Buying Options
$29.90 from Amazon
Shaving set from Harry's in a brown box
Credit: Harry's

Shaving set

Best for grooming

Sometimes the best gifts are the things your guy would buy for himself anyway. By gifting an everyday item like razors, you take some of the financial burden off his regular expenses. With Harry's you're able to get a one-time set or gift monthly refills for a gift that keeps giving.
Buying Options
$15 from Harry's
Orange luggage set from AmazonBasics on a white background.
Credit: Amazon Basics

Luggage set

Best for frequent flyers

Get your graduate ready for any post-grad vacations or trips home with a hardside luggage set. This one comes with 20-inch, 24-inch, and 28-inch suitcases with spinner wheels. The set is available in four different colors.
Buying Options
$190.89 from Amazon Amazon Prime
Harry's toiletry bag on a yellow background.
Credit: Harry's

Toiletry bag

Best for organization

Help the grad keep his bathroom organized with place to put his toiletries. This bag is great for a razor, toothbrush, moisturizers, and other small products. It's water resistant and easy to clean, plus it has a stylish design.
Buying Options
$20 from Harry's
Tool kit from Cartman on a white background.
Credit: Cartman

Tool kit

Best for home handiness

Everyone should have a good toolbox readily available, whether that's to hang up wall decor, build furniture, or perform some minor home improvements. This kit comes with 39 pieces, including a hammer, interchangeable screw driver, scissors, pliers, and more.
Buying Options
$24.99 from Amazon Amazon Prime
Food options from Blue Apron
Credit: Blue Apron

Blue Apron

Best for making life easier

Blue Apron takes the guesswork out of the question, "What's for dinner tonight?" The service sends everything your grad needs to make a full meal and will allow him to try new foods that he might not seek out on his own. The number of meals he gets depends on the amount you put on the gift card.
Buying Options
See Details

Google WiFi system

Best to get connected

The Google WiFi system eliminates your grad's need for a router. It provides seamless coverage throughout the home, eliminating dead zones and buffering. And it's easier than going through a provider to set up a router.
Buying Options
$199.99 from Amazon Amazon Prime
Spotify logo on a green Spotify gift card.
Credit: GiftCards.com

Spotify gift card

Best for the music lover

Graduating college is an exciting time, until you realize you lose all your student discounts. Help ease the transition of paying full price for music by gifting a Spotify gift card. The service typically costs about $10 per month, so you can cover a few month’s worth of ad-free tunes with your gift.
Buying Options
See Details
Grey sheet set from Sweet Home Collection on a bed.
Credit: Sweet Home Collection

Sheet set

Best for comfy rest

New sheets make sleeping even more enjoyable than it already is. This set comes with a fitted sheet, flat sheet, and two pillowcases that have the comfort and softness of 1,500 thread count Egyptian cotton. The fitted sheet also has reinforced elastic to help it stay in place. This sheet set comes in a variety of colors and sizes to fit your grad's needs.
Buying Options
$31.16 from Walmart
48-piece dinnerware set from Gibson Home on a dinner table
Credit: Gibson Home

48-piece dinnerware set

Best for entertaining

Home items are not the most exciting gifts, but they are appreciated. You'll give the grad the ability to pocket money he would have spent on dishes to spend on something else. Plus, dinnerware sets don't come cheap, so you're doing him a solid by taking care of it.
Buying Options
$49.99 from Walmart

Cast iron skillet

Best for intermediate cooks

In addition to a standard cookware set, it's nice to have a cast iron skillet to handle some bacon or a morning frittata. This pan especially comes in handy if your grad doesn't have access to a grill but wants to whip up steaks or burgers. This skillet is pre-seasoned and comes with a silicone handle cover.
Buying Options
$50 from Amazon

18-piece cookware set

Best for fledgling chefs

Along with dinnerware, cookware is essential to a home, but not the most fun thing to buy for yourself. Which is why it makes such a good graduation gift. This set from T-fal includes different sized pots and pans as well as a few kitchen utensils.
Buying Options
$119 from Amazon

Planner

Best for getting organized

If organization is important to your grad (or you wish it were), this planner will come in handy. It's 12 months enclosed in a faux leather cover, giving it a stylish look. The inside features yearly, monthly, and daily calendar views with sections to write notes. It also comes with calendar stickers and features an inner pocket.
Buying Options
$18.99 from Amazon Amazon Prime
What Do You Meme? game on a white background
Credit: What Do You Meme?

What Do You Meme?

Best for fun

Just because he's graduating college, doesn't mean he has to leave games behind. This Cards Against Humanity style game tasks players with creating the funniest meme with photo and caption cards. This game is an especially hilarious gift for anyone who has spent the better half of their life with the internet.
Buying Options
$29.99 from Amazon Amazon Prime
Cover of "The Mask of Masculinity" book by Lewis Howes
Credit: Lewis Howes

"The Mask of Masculinity"

Best for self-reflection

This book addresses the different masks that men can sometimes feel they need to put on. Some of these include stoicism, aggression, and sexuality. The author addresses the complexities of being a man and how men can live as their truest selves. Reviewers say it's a must-read that tackles authenticity and societal pressures.
Buying Options
$25.99 from Amazon Amazon Prime

Quip electric toothbrush

Best for a glistening smile

Electric toothbrushes have become pretty fancy — and quite pricey. Quip strips down to the basics with its sonic vibrating electric toothbrush. It looks like a standard brush in both style and size, but it'll help keep your favorite grad's mouth feeling cleaner. Quip runs on a subscription basis, so brush head refills can be sent to your grad every three months.
Buying Options
$25 from Quip

Winc

Best for the wine drinker

A college graduate has likely spent the last couple years drinking cheap, shitty alcohol. Give him a reason to indulge in some nice wine by giving him a gift card to Winc. The wine delivery service will have the grad take a palate quiz to figure out the types of wine he might like and then suggests selections based on the results. He's then able to purchase up to four bottles at a time.
Buying Options
$29.95 from Winc

Personalized stationery

Best for the professional

After receiving gifts, the grad is going to have some thank-you notes to write. Equip him with some fancy, personalized stationery to do so. Or have him save it for any handwritten notes and letters he might send in the upcoming future. (Like maybe a note to a hiring manager following a job interview.) Either way, he'll feel grown up with his own letterhead stationery.
Buying Options
See Details

MVMT watch

Best for adding style

A good-looking watch can make a person's style feel more cohesive and can add a level of sophistication when needed. If your grad is on the hunt for a job, a professional watch is a great gift to wear into interviews. MVMT watches are solid everyday and special occasion accessories.
Buying Options
$86.40 from MVMT
Basic Man subscription on a white background.
Credit: Basic Man

Basic Man subscription

Best for the essentials

Basic Man is a service that delivers underwear, socks, and a basic T-shirt every month. Gifting this subscription ensures that your fave grad won't be without clean undergarments, even if he waits a little too long in between laundry days.
Buying Options
$24.99 from Cratejoy

Smart plugs

Best for voice-controlled convenience

These plugs will give your grad's house or apartment smart home functionality. He can plug in everyday items and power them on and off through a mobile app or using Alexa or Google Assistant. He can also set timers for the plugs to turn on and off at specific times, which can actually help lower his electricity bill.
Buying Options
$29.99 from Amazon
6 silk neck ties in different colors
Credit: Adulove

A set of silk ties

Best for looking professional

Regardless of the graduate's career path, he can use a good go-to tie to wear to interviews, weddings, or any other special occasion. This set of ties is made of silk and comes in six solid colors, making it easy to pair with a range of shirt styles.
Buying Options
$22.98 from Amazon
Engraved bottle opener on a grey background
Credit: Lauren Elaine Designs

Engraved bottle opener

Best for the beer enthusiast

Remind the grad how great he is every time he cracks open a cold one by engraving a special message onto this bottle opener keychain. Or leave him a funny message that makes him think of you. Or do whatever you want, it's your gift and it's customizable.
Buying Options
$16 from Etsy
Aeropress Coffee and Espresso Maker on a white background.
Credit: Aeropress

Aeropress Coffee and Espresso Maker

Best for joe on the go

There’s no quicker and easier way to learn how to make a fantastic cup of coffee than the Aeropress—plus it’s extremely portable. Ready to pop in a backpack and take on the go, a quality cup of coffee is always within reach.
Buying Options
$39.95 from Amazon
Green Jade Yoga Harmony Mat on a white background.
Credit: Jade Yoga

Jade Yoga Harmony Mat

Best for personal care

For the spontaneous workout routine or meditation session, a quality yoga mat is a handy thing to have around. Jade mats are soft and super-grippy, plus you can buy a larger length if he’s on the tall side.
Buying Options
$84.95 from Amazon

Book Safe With Real Pages

Best for safe keeping

For hiding away treasured possessions and important documents, a book safe is a fun way to do so inconspicuously. For a more convincing look, opt for one with real pages you can thumb through and pick a cover that looks right at home on his shelf.
Buying Options
$31.99 from Amazon

Portable Blender

Best for grub on the go

For a guy on the go, a blender that can leave the house with him can be a huge timesaver. This portable blender only weighs one pound and it can do a much more thorough job blending protein shakes—goodbye chalky powder clumps! It will come in handy when he needs to whip up a quick smoothie or make an icy cocktail.
Buying Options
$40 from Amazon
the 3 ingredient cookbook
Credit: Toby Amidor

A simple cookbook

Best for beginner cooks

It can be overwhelming to dive into the deep end of cooking for yourself each and every day. Fortunately, this cookbook is packed with 100 simple and mostly healthful recipes that are 0% intimidating and 100% delicious. The breakfast, lunch, dinner and snack ideas use mostly pantry staples so he can dig in whenever he needs some inspiration. It's perfect for imparting a love for cooking one small step at a time.
Buying Options
$24.95 from Amazon

Noise-canceling headphones

Best for WFH focus

Working from home is more common than ever these days, which is totally convenient — unless you live with a bunch of roommates who also WFH. Set him up for success in his first post-grad job by making sure he can focus on his work tasks (or drown out the sounds around him as he enjoys music or streaming content after work) with these premium noise-canceling headphones.
Buying Options
$248 from Amazon Amazon Prime
bartender kit with drink mixing tools
Credit: Mixology & Craft

Bartender kit

Best for creative cocktails

Elevate his drinking status to post-collegiate levels with this refined bartender kit. The 10-piece set includes a shaker, muddler, ice tongs, strainer, liquid pourers and other cocktail tools to inspire his mixologist skills — and maybe move beyond pounding Bud Lights and straight shots of vodka. At the very least, it’ll all look really stylish in its handsome bamboo storage rack.
Buying Options
$79.99 from Amazon

Fitbit Inspire 3 Fitness Tracker

Best for staying fit

Now that he’s graduated and no longer needs to trek from the dorms to his classes on a regular basis, his daily step count may plummet. Inspire him to stay on track with his health and fitness goals with this minimalist tracker that keeps an eye on his steps, active minutes, calories burned, 24/7 heart rate, sleep quality and more than 20 exercise modes — including swimming, thanks to its water resistance up to 50 meters.
Buying Options
$98.95 from Amazon Amazon Prime
'The Last Lecture' book cover
Credit: Randy Pausch

“The Last Lecture”

Best for life inspiration

Professors often give a "last lecture" mulling over their legacy and the wisdom they'd like to impart on others before their own demise — but that became more reality than rumination when Carnegie Mellon professor Randy Pausch was diagnosed with terminal cancer. He subsequently gave a lecture on achieving childhood dreams, overcoming obstacles and seizing every moment, which ultimately became this international best-selling tome. It combines humor, inspiration and intelligence that'll inspire him to make the most of his time here on Earth.
Buying Options
$11.99 from Amazon
woman with short blonde hair smilling
Miller Kern
Deputy Reviews Editor

Miller Kern is a New York City-based Deputy Reviews Editor at Mashable, where she writes and edits reviews of tech products including headphones, skincare devices, laptops, sex toys, e-readers, robot vacuums, and more. She has five years of experience writing buying guides, gift guides, and deals, and covering shopping holidays like Prime Day and Black Friday. Miller can tell you which products are actually worth your money. She also explores trends in the shopping sphere, such as dupes and viral TikTok moments.


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