What to Gift a 16-Year-Old Dude
Your teenage boy probably looks like a long, stretched-out version of his 10-year-old self. Especially at age 16, he might act like an adult one minute — he's old enough to drive! — and a kid the next, still wanting to goof around on a skateboard with his buds. When looking for the best gifts for a 16-year-old boy, you can go in either direction. You could get him some tech, for instance, now that he's perhaps even more trustworthy with gadgets, or you can get him something silly. He'll likely be happy either way, even if he's currently a man of few words!
At the Good Housekeeping Institute, we have plenty of staff parents who regularly test toys and gifts for kids. For a story like this, we also talk to teens and their parents to find out what they want. Plus I have two young men, now 20 and 23, so I have some experience with shopping for this age (and I love it, TBH).Clip 4 Portable Mini Bluetooth Speaker
This portable and waterproof mini bluetooth speaker clips on to pants or a backpack, almost like a padlock. He can play tunes while shooting hoops, riding his bike, hanging at the pool or lounging at home. The GH Institute named this speaker the best bluetooth speaker for travel for its lightweight and portable design.
$49.95 at amazon.comHappy 16th Birthday Keychain
A keychain is an inexpensive and apropos gift for any 16-year-old who has learned to drive or will soon. Or, of course, they can use it for house keys. This one is inscribed with his birth year and has a loving, supportive message engraved on the back side.
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$9.99 at amazon.comQuip Mini Cruiser Adult Skateboard
This lightweight (5 pounds) skateboard is for street and sidewalk cruising and getting from here to there in a cool way. It arrives fully assembled and ready to roll and comes in other colors like blue, white and black.
$33.99 at amazon.comTennis Ball Plush
Jellycat is the favorite plush brand of current teens and college kids. If your 16-year-old is a sporty guy, this smiling tennis ball is a unique and adorable gift. There's a Jellycat football, baseball and soccer ball as well.
$34.00 at amazon.comFaux Fur Throw Blanket
When he needs to hide from the world he can snuggle under the warm softness of this supersoft throw blanket. It comes in more than 20 colors, so you can find his favorite or one that matches his room or school colors.
$18.99 at amazon.comSlim Wallet
The teen guys we know don't want big wallets — they're not carrying wads of cash. They want a grown-up wallet for their school ID and debit card, ideally RFID-blocking to protect the wallet from card readers. This one fits the bill, is affordable and gets great user reviews on Amazon.
$19.99 at amazon.comVoyage
"He's been interested in cologne," the mom of a soon-to-be 16-year-old told us. The high-end stuff at Sephora is pricey and drugstore body spray is maybe not special enough. Nautica Voyage makes a great, inexpensive first cologne for him to try. It smells a little beachy and coastal and earns rave reviews. This is the small size, and the larger size is about $30.
$15.74 at amazon.comDoorframe Pull Up Bar
My own teen got one of these when he turned 16 and is still using it for home exercise now at age 20. It installs over the door (and comes down easily too) and works even for tall dudes.
$59.99 at amazon.comSweatshirt Hoodie
Hoodies are the uniform of teen boys, and a popular gift for birthdays or Christmas. We love the price of this one from Amazon, available in two dozen colors.
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$11.92 at amazon.comAdjustable Sling Bag
Why do some brands become so cool with teens? We don't know, but Carhartt is a current favorite with young people, even if it's been around since 1889. (They probably think they discovered it). Our gift suggestion is the durable sling bag he can use to carry his phone, wallet and a couple of other essentials to concerts, movies and outings with friends.
$29.99 at amazon.comInspire 3 Fitness Tracker
Is he interested in fitness? This entry-level FitBit is a watch that also tracks his steps and reads his pulse, feeding back information to a free app he can put on his phone.
$79.95 at amazon.comSuperman Vs. Kaiju Slime Battle
Okay, this is an actual toy. But if he's into the latest Superman movie (PG-13 and not kiddish) than he might get a huge kick out of this slime-filled Kaiju monster and action figure that can "battle" it. A fun return to his youth.
$24.97 at amazon.comVinyl Record Storage Holder
Is he picking up vinyl records? They — and cassettes — are coveted again. This can hold up to 50 albums and he can display a current favorite in the front.
$29.99 at amazon.comSoccer Ball Shaped Pillow
A sporty kid might love this unique room decor, a 10-inch soccer ball pillow. There's also a baseball, a basketball and a football to put on his bed or chair.
$49.50 at pbteen.comHow to Be a Person
Plenty of 16-year-olds don't seem to really listen to their parents, especially when the parents are trying to instruct them on how to do their own laundry or cook a meal. This book contains easy instructions for 65 grown-up skills that can help a teen be more independent, confident — and a better housemate. They're likely to listen to what the author says, since she's not related to them.
$15.26 at amazon.comG305 Lightspeed Wireless Gaming Mouse
Is he a gamer? A special gamer mouse can help him move faster in his games. This one is wireless and gets thousands of excellent Amazon reviews.
$29.99 at amazon.comMagnetic Wooden Chess Set
If he likes chess, this 15-inch board folds up to be portable and is magnetic to hold the pieces. It comes with two extra queens. He can take it to school, to a friend's house or on family travels.
$25.48 at amazon.comShow 'Em No Mercy
This Amazon-exclusive version of the favorite card game UNO is a little more brutal and merciless than the standard version — perfect for a competitive teen looking to go head-to-head with friends or parents. It's for two to six players and includes 56 additional cards, special rules and action cards that might make a player pick 10 more cards from the pile.
$16.28 at amazon.comSlides for Men
Picking out sneakers for any dude is tough, but grabbing a pair of these super-popular, waterproof slip-on sandals is easy. They're perfect house slippers, but we see young guys wearing these out on errands, at the beach or pool and elsewhere.
$21.20 at amazon.comSquier Stratocaster Electric Guitar
Help make his battle-of-the-bands dreams come true with a beginner electric guitar. This Fender comes with a warranty and online lessons. He'll also probably need an amp, which he might find on Facebook Marketplace or Amazon. Fender also sells a guitar and amp bundle.
$146.99 at amazon.comMarvel Dancing Groot
"LEGOs are still big with 16-year-olds," one mom told us. Your guy might be ready for the sets that are for 18+ but just to be on the safe side, we like aging down to something like this cool, posable Groot. It's still got nearly 500 pieces to make the 8.5-inch figure, so it's not too easy, but also won't frustrate a teen.
$35.99 at amazon.comUltimate Fart Blaster
One more goofy gift: Fog "farts" blast out of this, scented like banana or burned popcorn. We've tested it at the Good Housekeeping Institute and will admit we adults were laughing as much as the kids, so if your teen still has a silly sense of humor, he might love this.
$45.98 at amazon.comVolcanic Rock Bracelet with Moonstone
I can't do this list without something a little sappy. Granted, when I gave my teen son a beaded bracelet he lost it within a month, but it's the sentiment that counts. This lets him know you love him and the black volcanic rock beads and single moonstone are pretty cool.
$12.99 at amazon.com
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