The Verge’s 2026 high school graduation gift guide

A proper toaster oven is the gateway to some good old-fashioned home cooking. Cuisinart’s big, powerful convection oven is easy to use, heats faster than a conventional oven, and, unlike a microwave, cooks food evenly. You can quickly brown the cheese on your pizza or reheat leftovers to taste just like they did at the restaurant, whichever strikes your fancy.

The AirPods 4 are an entertainment lifeline. They can help chores go by more quickly, provide a relaxing soundtrack for your studies or creative pursuits, and let you enjoy movies and games. When you’re ready to tune everything out, just switch on their active noise cancellation to better focus on your favorite podcast, song, or audiobook.

Luggage doesn’t have to be expensive, but cheaper bags likely won’t have the same charming design — or features — as the Away Carry-On. It’s perfect for packing just enough for a week away, and its durable shell and built-in (TSA-approved) lock will protect your valuables. The bag comes in a multitude of colors, too, and you can easily wheel it through the airport with its 360-degree wheels.

If your grad is the outdoorsy type, a lightweight sleeping pad to keep them comfortable during their expeditions is a thoughtful gift. Therm-a-Rest’s NeoAir XTherm NXT is slightly bigger than a 32-ounce water bottle when rolled up, yet it inflates to provide ample comfort and relative warmth, helping your grad relax after an exhausting day on the trail.

Whether your grad’s path takes them to college or straight into a career, a device made exclusively for note-taking is always nice to have. To that end, Remakerable’s Paper Pure is a great pick, as its textured finish feels similar to writing on paper. The Pure is also great for marking up required reading for school or tailoring a cover letter and résumé.

As the owner of a cheap reusable water bottle, I’m constantly spilling water when I take a sip. That’s not an issue with Owala’s insulated FreeSip Sway, which lets you drink with either a chug spout or a straw. It also has a lock to prevent spills and comes in a variety of colors and sizes, each with a built-in handle.

There are few signs of love more fitting for a young adult than a personalized box of snacks, which is where Universal Yums comes in. The nifty service lets you send your grad an assortment of popular snacks and candy from around the world, helping them broaden their culinary horizons even if they have no immediate plans to travel abroad.

It’s true that a succulent is one of the easiest plants to care for, making it a good choice for the sometimes-forgetful grad. And yet, Lego’s Flowering Cactus set might be an even better choice. All that’s required to make it bloom is some time and patience to assemble its 482 pieces; it will also look great wherever your grad decides to place it.

A portable battery might seem like an uninspired gift, but Baseus’s AM52 will let your grad use their mobile devices while out and about for longer. Its MagSafe-ready design means it can snap onto newer iPhones and supply up to 25W of power, and because it has a USB-C port, it can also charge a Nintendo Switch 2 and other electronics.

A good travel bag is the kind of gift that a grad may never have to replace. Topo Design’s Dopp Kit is a well-built option we fully endorse, with contrasting colors and a self-standing design that makes it easy to see everything you’ve packed. It’s great for accessing toiletries during trips, or for stowing cables and snacks in between classes or activities.

The MacBook Neo delivers high-end design and respectable performance at a relatively low price point. Apple’s latest laptop starts at $599 and comes in a range of colors that might entice some grads who aren’t jazzed by Apple’s less expressive MacBook models. Its attractive price isn’t a ruse, either; it’s well-built and well-suited for handling most basic tasks, even if it doesn’t offer top-end speed.

If your grad doesn’t already have a Switch 2, they likely have one on their wishlist. Nintendo’s successor to one of the bestselling consoles of all time is more of the same, but better. It features a larger screen, a range of exclusives, and more power, resulting in better-looking games that run at faster frame rates than the original model.

A hybrid electric bike is a big-ticket gift that any bike-loving grad will appreciate. Although it costs as much as a clunker of a car, Trek’s FX+1 Throttle is undoubtedly way cooler. It can last up to 50 miles per charge and reach 20 miles per hour with pedal assistance, and it’s built to be safe to ride, with integrated turn signals and a brake light.

Many modern desks offer a few outlets and USB ports to power your electronics, but Anker’s 10-in-1 Nano Power Strip is packed with them. It clamps to your desk, neatly hugging its surface with a strip containing two plugs, two USB-C ports, and two USB-A ports. The hidden section beneath also boasts four plugs, allowing you to power even more devices.

Packing a meal from home for work or school shouldn’t be cumbersome or messy. Zojirushi’s bento jar makes it easy to tote a multi-part meal, and it’s equipped with a spork and chopsticks. It features three food bowls of different sizes, one of which is vacuum-sealed to keep its contents hot or cold throughout the day until it’s time to munch.

Your average high school grad may not have many uses for an electric screwdriver, but they’ll eventually need one for various odds and ends. When that time comes, Hoto’s PixelDrive will be an asset, thanks to its six torque settings, a set of 30 replaceable bits, a rechargeable battery, and an LED light to illuminate the job at hand.

One of the biggest eyesores in any room is an unused laundry basket, which often takes up a lot of space and requires you to get clever to hide it. Thankfully, Brabantia’s foldable, 10.6-gallon laundry basket is different. It’s there when you need to fill it with clothes, cables, or books, then it folds up flat so you can easily hide it from sight.

The Pebblebee Halo is a personal safety tool featuring a flashlight, Apple Find My tracking support, and a silent alert mode that notifies trusted individuals without making any noise. The keyring-ready, water-resistant device can last up to a year on a single charge, and it includes a one-year trial of Alert Live for live emergency location sharing (a $25 value).

It’s easier than ever to give your living space a unique look with smart lights. Govee’s Strip Light 2 Pro is a customizable strip of LED lights you can set to any color, cut to size, and install via adhesive. You can put them wherever you want to add a pop of color, such as under cabinets, behind the couch, or around art pieces on your wall.

If your grad is about to experience living alone (or at least away from home) for the first time, there’s never been a better time to instill the importance of cleaning up after themselves. Black & Decker’s Dustbuster can’t go toe-to-toe with a robot vacuum, but the rechargeable handheld is great for cleaning nooks and crannies at home or in the car, especially with its pull-out crevice tool.

Of the many gadgets in our gift guide, your grad might use Ulitmate Ears’ Wonderboom 4 the most. The waterproof, IP67-rated Bluetooth speaker punches above its weight in terms of sound performance, and you can pair two units wirelessly for stereo sound. It’s as good a speaker for the shower as it is for small parties and beach excursions.

A MagSafe wallet isn’t a new concept, but Nomad’s Leather Mag Wallet is a more refined option. If you happen to lose it, you can track it down via Apple’s Find My app. It also has a built-in battery that lasts up to five months, which you can easily top off using either a MagSafe or Qi wireless charger thanks to its built-in charging coil.

Even if coffee is easy to come by in your grad’s neighborhood, having a reliable coffee maker at home is invaluable. True, your grad may not drink 12 cups of joe at once, but Ninja’s programmable brewer is useful to have on hand when guests stop by and need the powers of the almighty bean juice to get them through the day (or night).

Chances are, your grad has never had the pleasure of owning their own drag-and-drop MP3 player. Well, it’s time to change that with Fiio’s Echo Mini, which was designed to look like a cassette player. Its hardware is much nicer than the low-cost MP3 players from the early aughts, especially since you can use it with either wired or wireless headphones (over Bluetooth).

Lamicall’s magnetic cord organizers are simple yet effective tools that belong in every grad’s home. They hold the ends of your most frequently used cables so they don’t fall to the floor when you unplug them, and the low-cost accessories can be stuck to the side of your desk or kitchen counter. They also work great behind your entertainment center or wherever else is convenient.

A deck of playing cards can bring together groups of all ages. Themed decks are even more fun, as Theory11’s Stranger Things pack proves. The premium set contains plenty of Easter eggs from the hit Netflix show, and each card features high-quality embossing and foil details, giving your favorite card games a supernatural twist.

AA batteries are typically annoying to deal with. You buy them, they die, and then you throw them away. Zepath’s are different. They’re rechargeable and ship in a compact, flip-top USB-C charging case that makes them easy to organize and charge, so they’ll be ready whenever you need them.

Sure, your grad’s phone can capture great photos, but can it print them at a moment’s notice? For that, nothing beats an instant camera like Fujifilm’s Instax Mini 41, which can spit out pictures that immediately become keepsakes for friends and family. The slick, flash-equipped option even has a selfie mirror, making it easy to take all sorts of shots.

Rumpl’s OG Puffy Blanket is great for cozying up at night next to a fire or keeping warm while you’re trying to catch some Z’s during camping trips. Its VersaWeave shell is water- and weather-resistant, too, and its corners can be driven into the ground with stakes to stay put. The fact that it weighs just over two pounds is merely a plus.

Life tends to get more complicated after high school. Fortunately, the Skylight Calendar 2 can help bring order to your grad’s life, especially if they’re heading to college. The 15-inch smart display shows color-coded schedules at a glance, with built-in tools for assigning chores, meal planning, and more.