The 8 Best High School Graduation Gifts

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Our Top Picks

Best for Foodies: Instant Pot Duo Mini at Amazon

"It introduces new home cooks to an easier way of preparing dinner."

Best for Music Lovers: Anker Soundcore Bluetooth Speaker at Amazon

"It’s lightweight enough for travel but also has a solid, drop-proof design."

Best for Gamers: Nintendo Switch at Amazon

"They can use it for gaming on their TV or take it on-the-road."

Best for Photographers: AMIR Camera Lens Kit at Amazon

"It comes with three different lenses that can clip right over a smartphone."

Best for Travelers: Herschel Supply Co. Novel Duffle Bag at Nordstrom

"This unisex bag will transition well as your grad starts a job or internship"

Best from Parents: Acer Chromebook R 11 at Amazon

"Has impressive battery life (about ten hours), and can convert to a tablet."

Best from Grandparents: Haflinger Unisex AT Wool Slipper at Amazon

"They’re known for being temperature regulating with a waterproof sole."

Best Decor: Extra Long Mod String Lights at Urban Outfitters

"These mod string lights will instantly illuminate their favorite hangout spot."

Becoming an adult means you need to learn how to cook, but it doesn’t mean you need to jump into the culinary world at full force. The Instant Pot introduces new home cooks to an easier way of preparing dinner. This tiny machine can sauté, pressure cook, slow cook, steam, cook rice, and even make yogurt. The three-quart container is the perfect size if you live alone and want to cook only for yourself. Plus, new cooks just need to flip through the manual to find the right setting for their food. The Instant Pot even comes with a recipe book to make food prep extra easy.

Being young means you can blast your music without a care in the world, and this Bluetooth speaker lets a music-loving grad do that from anywhere. It can connect to a device from up to 66 feet away and lasts up to 24 hours on a single charge. Even though it’s so small, the speaker has crystal-clear sound (with great bass, too). It’s lightweight enough for travel but also features a solid, drop-proof design. Your grad will love taking it camping, to the beach, or to a friend’s house.

Right now, everyone wants a Nintendo Switch. It’s a hot ticket in the gaming world. And after passing their finals and surviving the past four years of high school, the gamer in your life might just want to veg out and play some Zelda. The Switch can make that happen. Your grad can use the dock for gaming on their TV, but if they want to take it on-the-road they can unlock the console and play in handheld mode. Don't worry, there will be plenty of time to impart your wisdom about adulting. For now, let this new graduate bask in the accomplishment of a high school diploma through hours of gaming with their friends.

If you know someone who’s a budding photographer but doesn’t have the budget for a fancy camera, get them this phone lens set. It comes with three different lenses that can clip right over the built-in camera on a smartphone. Each lens has a different purpose: the 0.4x Super Wide Angle Lens helps you capture an entire room or group of people in one shot. The 10x Macro Lens is great for extreme close-up photography that captures the small details of an object. And the 180-degree Fisheye Lens is perfect for travel photography because it captures a panoramic view to create stunning rounded images

herschel-supply-co-duffle — Courtesy of Nordstrom

The end of high school can mean the start of a summer full of travel. Gift this classic, polyester-canvas duffel bag to start off your grad’s jet-setter life in style. The bag is roomy enough to pack at least a weekend’s worth of clothes—if not a week. While the interior is comprised of one large compartment, there's an exterior shoe chamber to prevent your clothing from getting dirty, and the removable shoulder strap means this bag is never hard to lug around on an adventure. The best part? This unisex bag will transition well as your grad starts a job or internship that requires them to commute or travel.

A new laptop is a necessity for every college student. It will help them complete homework and take notes, and they can even use it to watch Netflix at the end of a long week. The Acer Chromebook R 11 is a great choice because it's lightweight, has impressive battery life (about ten hours), and can convert to a tablet for portability. Your grad will have no problem stashing this in their backpack as they head out for class, and the 4GB of memory ensures they will have plenty of onboard storage space throughout their time at college.

The Danish concept of “hygge” (pronounced hoo-ga) is everywhere these days. Hygge represents the idea of cozy contentment and meaning in life’s everyday moments. To you, that could mean sharing laughs with friends or curling up with a good book. Grandparents typically opt for cozy gifts anyway—like sweaters or a throw blanket—but they can change up the routine by offering the spirit of hygge through these highly rated slippers. They’re known for being temperature regulating with a waterproof sole so they can be used indoors or outdoors.

The 12 Best Slippers of 2021

mod-string-lights — Courtesy of Pottery Barn

Whether your high school grad is about to decorate a dorm room or move into a new apartment, they’re going to need some cool stuff to liven up their space. Get them these mod string lights to add ambiance and instantly illuminate their favorite hangout spot. At 98 inches long, they'll have plenty of length to decorate their headboard, door frame, shelves, kitchenette, or common room. Plus, they can pair these string lights with colorful posters, a bean bag chair, floating shelves, and a cozy rug for a personalized dorm room that won't break the bank.

The 9 Best String Lights for Bedrooms