Have you been experiencing a bit of gift-buying anxiety now that you are shopping for a teenage boy? Hey, we don’t blame you. Ask any adolescent what he wants and he’s probably going to respond with something along the lines of “dunno” or “Porsche!”. Well, the former is not helpful at all, and the latter is just not going to happen…at all. Sorry, boys.
So, what do you buy for the teen who is quickly becoming a man? It is, of course, always important to encourage his hobbies and interests; anything less can lead to the dreaded Teenage Sigh. You know the one.
Here at We The Parents, it’s our mission to ensure that you don’t have to hear the Teenage Sigh. Well, at least when it comes to giving out presents.
Our top picks of the best gift ideas for teenage boys
#1
Our opinion
Has your teen been bitten by the exploration bug? If so, we can’t think of a better gift than his very own drone. The Parrot Bebop 2 (check price on Amazon) has been heralded as one of the best on the market. Here’s why…
Why He’ll Love It: He can film at a 90-degree angle without sacrificing image quality, so he will be able to scan any landscape without the sky overshadowing his shots.
What we love
- 14 MP camera for sharp images and 1080p video recording
- Live stream capable
- Back LED light
- Easy to maneuver
- Low light image capability
- Automatic propeller shut off in event of collision
- 25 minute flight time with full charge
- Autofocus
Watch for
- Expensive
- FAA registration required
#2
Our opinion
For the physically inclined, there are few things more fun than learning how to pogo. Providing great exercise, it also encourages balancing and coordination skills at a time when your boy might be feeling a little out of place in his growing body. What’s more, the Super Pogo 1505 (check price on Amazon) isn’t a kiddy toy, it’s a full on stunt pogo stick that will allow him to get serious air time and learn extreme tricks.
Why He’ll Love It: It provides a great outdoor activity that he can show off to his friends. Plus, he’ll never be at a loss for a conversation topic once he learns some pogo-tricks.
What we love
- Great for beginner or advanced pogoing
- Metal frame
- Supports weight from 120 – 210 lbs
- Easy grip handles
- Spring powered
Watch for
- Can be loud
#3
Our opinion
Motocross is a sport that’s full of speed and adrenaline, so it’s not a surprise that it’s a favorite of many teenage boys. Full-speed motocross competition is best done by experienced riders, but the MX650 from Razor (check price on Amazon) offers the look and feel of the real deal with an electric construction that keeps speeds reasonable. The 17 MPH ride is safe for kids who are over 16, who will enjoy a stable ride thanks to a dual suspension and pneumatic tires. The motor is quiet, so the neighbors won’t mind, plus there’s no pesky gas tank to fill(make sure to keep the battery charged, though).
Why He’ll Love It: It has a classic motocross design and real speed, but he can ride it in the neighborhood.
What we love
- The 17 MPH speed capacity is enough to thrill them, but is still reasonably safe for teen riders
- This bike has a smooth ride thanks to a dual suspension and durable tires
- It’s quiet for a motocross bike, so neighbors won’t be agitated by a loud motor
- There’s a 220 lb weight limit, so they can continue to enjoy it as they get older, plus adults can try it out as well
- There’s no gas needed, so it’s both budget-friendly and eco-conscious
Watch for
- It’s important to recharge the battery at least once a month, or it may die fully and stop accepting charges
- There’s a 12 hour initial charge time, and ride times for electric bikes can be short compared to the time required to recharge
#4
Our opinion
A twist on Volleyball, this game represents a new generation of outdoor team sports. Made for a 2 vs. 2 competition, Spikeball (check price on Amazon) focuses strongly on teamwork, coordination, and even a bit of hidden geometry as your boy works to bounce the ball from his hand onto the net, which lies on the ground.
Why He’ll Love It: Whether he’s camping, at the beach, or, dare we say, at a family barbeque, he’ll love the physical and frenetic nature of Spikeball.
What we love
- Portable; can be taken anywhere
- Playable on any flat surface
- Simple rules
- Encourages social play
Watch for
- Assembly can be tricky
#5
Our opinion
If you live with a teen who thrives on taking photographs as a means of expression, this gift will honestly blow him away. The Nikon D3400 (check price on Amazon) is a perfect entry level camera for a budding photojournalist or photographer.
Why He’ll Love It: This is a great gift for a teenager hoping to make a career or lifelong hobby out of photography. Whether he is keeping the photos and videos for personal use or building a portfolio, he’s sure to impress when he shoots with this camera.
What we love
- Instantly syncs photos to phones or tablets with SnapBridge technology
- Easy setup
- Shoots video in 1080p/60
- Low light photo and action shot capability
- Connects with up to five smart devices/computers via Bluetooth
- Smooth Autofocus
Watch for
- Expensive
- No touchscreen
#6
Our opinion
How many times have you given your adolescent some of your sage advice only to have him ignore it until it comes from someone else? We thought so. Why not give the gift of guidance without being on the receiving end of a skeptical stare with this self-help book? (Check price on Amazon.)
Why He’ll Love It: It’s a good read with good advice.
What we love
- Funny
- Tackles complicated issues
- Practical advice
Watch for
- Can be hard to “get into” at first
#7
Our opinion
The Nebula Smart Mini Projector (check price on Amazon) is an exceedingly excellent invention. He can watch movies anywhere and bring the cinema home. It has Wi-Fi capabilities, one hundred inch picture, four hours of video playtime, and connects with a smartphone through an app. It has a stunning picture and broad connective abilities. He will be inspired by the magnificent picture and sound quality. He can watch movies outdoors and camp in the middle of nowhere. It’s like having your own personal drive-in movie theater in your own backyard. Get the popcorn ready!
Why He’ll Love It: He can create his own movie theater for his friends and spend more time outdoors.
What we love
- Very handy and portable
- Plays content from your favorite video streaming app
- 4 hours video portable playtime
- Stunning picture and sound
- If he doesn’t like it (which is unlikely), then it’ll make a great gift for your husband
Watch for
- Manual focus
#8
Our opinion
NERF blasters are a great way to level up kids’ outdoor play, and they stay fun as they grow into the teen years – honestly, is there a parent among us who hasn’t occasionally joined in? The Modulus Tri-Strike (check price on Amazon) offers them three ways to blast – the elite dart blaster and mega dart barrel extension offer speed and distance strikes, and the bonus missile launcher offers a unique element to their NERF battle play. This blaster is also compatible with the NERF Modulus system, so fans and collectors can add their favorite mods to make combat even more intense.
Why He’ll Love It: He can move the handle into one of three positions to give him the best firing position. When you are comfortable, you can aim with precision and walk away from any battle as the Nerf champion.
What we love
- There are three ways to fire – the elite dart blaster, the mega dart barrel extension and the missile launcher
- It’s part of the NERF Modulus system, so it can be customized
- It comes with 10 elite darts and a 10 dart clip for easy loading
- While it’s great for teens, it’s safe over age eight, so it’s a good toy for sharing with younger siblings
Watch for
- There’s only 4 mega darts, so you may want to consider buying extras
- While the gun can be modded, mods are sold separately
#9
Our opinion
When given as a gift, a good gaming system can make any teenage boy’s eyes go wide. And when you give him an Xbox (check price on Amazon), you might just have pop them right back into his head! This well-rounded console is sure to provide him with endless entertainment.
Why He’ll Love It: The Xbox One S provides an all-around entertainment experience. He can watch movies, talk to other players, and, of course, play video games from virtually every genre.
What we love
- Can download games right onto the console
- Plays DVDs, Blu-rays, and live TV
- Endless apps to explore
- Can connect with other players for more social gaming
- Compatible with Kinect
Watch for
- Downloading updates can take a while
- Only includes one controller
#10
Our opinion
Does your boy love music and experimenting with sound? This innovative synth making kit from Korg (check price on Amazon) allows him to explore his creativity in a truly unique way. With 12 electronic ‘bits’, he can connect the circuits to manipulate sound, or even build his own instruments.
Why He’ll Love It: With so many ways to mix and match the ‘bits’, he will thoroughly enjoy exploring the science of sound.
What we love
- Step-by-step instructions
- Parts magnetically snap together
- Can be used to make instruments
- Kit includes a speaker to play audio creations
Watch for
- Small parts can be tricky to maneuver with bigger hands
- Additional materials needed for some instrument creations
#11
Our opinion
If your son has a long-standing love of all things LEGO, this is a great model for him to build (check price on Amazon). It is also a pretty fun way to bring a bit of the past into his present. So throw on a Beatles record and regale him with the awesomeness that was the 1960s.
Why He’ll Love It: With 1332 pieces, it is a project that will keep him busy. Once completed, he will have a fantastic model to display in his room.
What we love
- Authentic detailing
- Van is 5 inches high, 11 inches long; great for displaying
Watch for
- It’s pretty hard to find cons with a LEGO product!
#12
Our opinion
The Sonos Play (check price on Amazon) is a compact wireless speaker for streaming music. Every teenager should have a wireless speaker to stream their favorite music. Excessive use of earbuds and headphones have been linked to hearing damage in teens. This speaker allows them to listen to music virtually anywhere. The speaker will fill their room with MIDI sound and can stream services like Amazon music, Pandora Apple music, and Spotify. It is lightweight and has Alexa built-in.
Why He’ll Love It: Set-up only takes five minutes and it fits in any space.
What we love
- Fits in any space
- Alexa built-in voice control
- Quality sound
- Wall mountable
Watch for
- No line-in
#13
Our opinion
The Escape Room (check price on Amazon) is a game that will take him out of his comfort zone and into excitement. He must escape from rooms before the time runs out. The game creates potentially impossible scenarios and he will need to figure his escape plan out within sixty minutes. There are four action-packed scenarios and it gets harder and harder to escape each time.
Why He’ll Love It: To escape from the rooms, he must solve puzzles to get the lock codes.
What we love
- Great to play with family and friends
- 4 thrilling scenarios to play
Watch for
- Can be played only 4 times (though these are epic sessions!)
#14
Our opinion
Has your teen expressed an interest in toning their arms, chest, and back? The Perfect Fitness Perfect Pushup Elite (check price on Amazon) of ergonomic floor grips will help them redistribute their weight when practicing pushups. These handles sit on top of a textured base and steel ball bearing. They are strong enough to handle a 400-pound man.
Why He’ll Love It: If you gave me pushup stands, they’d collect dust in my closet. That’s not to say that your teen won’t make the most of this fitness equipment. These do a great job of alleviating joint pain. As such, youthful athletes can get more out of each push-up run.
#15
Our opinion
Even post-Millennials cannot resist the charm of the original Super Mario Brothers, Final Fantasy, and Donkey Kong. This is the classic two-toned grey gaming system you’ll remember from your youth. The Classic Nintendo Entertainment Center (check price on Amazon) comes with an AC adapter and a classic four-button controller. The games are already downloaded. Your sheltered adolescents will never know the pain of blowing blindly into a chunky grey cartridge.
Why He’ll Love It: It’s super hard to find a working NES from the 90s. Of course, any modern teen would kill to get their hands on the video game from the stone age. While classic Nintendo doesn’t boast high-definition graphics or overly dynamic missions, it is addictively fun. Just plug and play for hours of entertainment.
What we love
- Features 30 preloaded Nintendo classics, including Super Mario Brothers, Donkey Kong, Zelda, PAC MAN, and more
- Despite its lack of cartridges, it features a classic two-colored gray box and vintage controller (complete with cord)
- Comes with a standard HDMI cord, no waiting to plug in
- Hours of teen/parent bonding
Watch for
- There’s no Duck Hunt on this remade system. You’ll have to go elsewhere to take your aim at pixelized ducks.
#16
Our opinion
The Personalized Swiss Army Knife by Victorinox (check price on Amazon) is the perfect gift for your Eagle Scout or outdoor enthusiast. Whether they have a merit badge or not, any teenage boy will find a use for one or all of the knife’s 33 functions. Make this gift extra special by engraving it with a personalized message or name. Then, bring on the Macgyver reruns.
This pocket-sized tool is made by the same manufacturer as the original Swiss Army Knife. Sometimes the best presents come in small packages… That’s an adage that couldn’t be a more accurate description of this knife.
Why He’ll Love It: Your teen will never leave the house without their trusty Swiss knife. This parcel is no larger than a pack of gum. Nevertheless, it comes with 33 tools, including scissors, a saw, and a magnifying glass.
What we love
- Add your son’s name or initials with custom engraving by Victorinox
- Comes with a Lifetime warranty
- Made in Switzerland by the makers of the Original Swiss Army Knife
- Boasts 33 functions
Watch for
- Small yet expensive
#17
Our opinion
Help your teenager hone in on their love of science with this incredible music-producing Tesla coil (check price on Amazon). This funky tower serves as a wireless transmitter, loudspeaker, and light. In case you were wondering, a Tesla coil consists of two electrical circuits tied into a spark gap. Your teen can fill you in from there.
Choose from eight interesting colors, including classic bronze.
The Tesla coil is a solid conversation piece. Not to mention, it looks great on bookshelves and desks. Keep in mind that this high voltage toy can interfere with medical and electrical equipment. Besides that, it’s a hunk of heavy metal fun.
What we love
- This Tesla coil is ready to go out of the box, just plug it in and enjoy its unparalleled entertainment
- Serves as a makeshift audio transmitter for smartphones and more
- Oversized heat sink provides hours of safe scientific fun
- No complicated instructions to follow
Watch for
- The sound quality on this coil isn’t the best
#18
Our opinion
RawChemistry’s patented scent (check price on Amazon) is made from a blend of oils that is destined to attract. This bold cologne comes in a sleek black, white, and orange package. It contains top-notch ingredients, meaning no silicone, alcohol, PBAs, or plastics.
This spicy wood-scented perfume will mask the odor of sweat and unwashed gym socks.
It will also help your teen evoke his inner confidence. In our opinion, this scent is perfect for job interviews, college tours, and PG dates. If your dashing descendant isn’t satisfied with the product, he can return it for a replacement or refund.
Why He’ll Love It: Most young men struggle to get the attention of that special someone. What if you could assist your helpless heartthrob? This isn’t a love potion, but it does use pheromones to attract other members of the human race.
What we love
- RawChemistry has specially formulated this cologne to attract
- Perfect for both business and pleasure
- A bold scent profile that conjures up images of rich Italian woods
- Comes in super lux packaging that is bound to impress
- Long-lasting scent that is free from cheap, harmful fillers, including silicone, plastic, PBAs, and alcohol
Watch for
- While this cologne does have a fabulous scent profile, we’re not sure how effective (or real) the pheromones are
#19
Our opinion
RawChemistry’s patented scent (check price on Amazon) is made from a blend of oils that is destined to attract. This bold cologne comes in a sleek black, white, and orange package. It contains top-notch ingredients, meaning no silicone, alcohol, PBAs, or plastics.
This spicy wood-scented perfume will mask the odor of sweat and unwashed gym socks.
It will also help your teen evoke his inner confidence. In our opinion, this scent is perfect for job interviews, college tours, and PG dates. If your dashing descendant isn’t satisfied with the product, he can return it for a replacement or refund.
Why He’ll Love It: This game provides teens with a bold introduction to adult humor.
#20
Our opinion
The Samsung 49-inch Curved Monitor (check price on Amazon) is the ultimate gamer gift. This modern marvel boasts two side-by-side 27-inch screens for an ultra-wide visual experience. The device comes with Quantum Dot technology (QLED), which, in layman’s terms, means brighter, more colorful graphics. With nearly a billion shades of color, your teen’s video games will appear more realistic than ever before. This colossal screen also has an incredible response time. Not to mention, it comes equipped with VESA mounts!
Samsung’s images are undeniably enjoyable, but that doesn’t mean that your teen is going to send you an invite. Your better off taking a home day if you want to get a slice of this pie!
Why He’ll Love It: If you give a teen a video game system, chances are that they’ll want a bomb monitor to go with it. Your double-digits kiddo may be growing faster than you want them to, but you can still shower them with love. Sometimes, you just need to be a little creative!
What we love
- Quantum Dot technology offers over a billion shades of color
- Freesync 2 with HDR
- Free up desktops using the VESA mount to attach to a wall
- 144 hertz refresh rate for blur-free images at all times
Watch for
- Poor customer service
So, what makes a good gift for a teen boy?
Don’t worry; you will not need to hand over the keys to a new car to make your boy happy.
Teens love group activities. Sure, they’re at the age where they mostly prefer doing said activities with their buddies and not their parents. But hey, a game or gift that can be used in a group provides an excellent opportunity to encourage family closeness without it feeling like a chore for your teen.
Also remember that, contrary to what they might say, they do have interests outside of dating and getting their driver’s license. So, whether your boy loves being active, artistic, or scientific, the key is finding a present that speaks to their interests. He is sure to love something that can expand his mind or help him meet any physical challenges he has set for himself.
After completing lots of research for your gift-giving headstart, here are ten gifts for teenage boys that will help you claim that ever-elusive Cool Adult Crown.
Teenage development
Your son is now trying to navigate the world as a young man instead of a child. It only makes sense; his brain is maturing in every which way, and his body is rapidly developing. Although his rate of growth, both mentally and physically, will very much be unique to him, we made sure to keep certain milestones in our heads as we researched gifts that your young man would enjoy (source).
Cognitive development
Your teenage boy is now less apt to just take your word on things, instead preferring to figure out the how’s and why’s for himself. You will also see him cementing his core beliefs as he gathers more information about the world. As such, don’t be surprised when he expresses interests in:
- World issues;
- Politics;
- His future plans (college, family, etc.);
- Career goals;
- Abstract thinking;
Social development
As your teen dips his toe more and more into the real world, he will experience all the ups and downs that come along with being a member of society. Remember that any feelings, from the pleasant to the distressing, can be amplified by the onset of puberty, and don’t be surprised if you notice him:
- Placing more importance on romance and/or sex;
- Comparing himself to his peers;
- Searching for more independence;
- Engaging in a long-term relationship
Physical development
The height and weight charts for toddlers have long since been put to the wayside, but your teen still has one more stage to progress through before his body is fully mature. No one ever said puberty was easy, and you can expect your teen to be:
- Undergoing growth spurts;
- Occasionally uncoordinated;
- Sexually maturing;
- Experiencing a deepening of the voice
Wrapping up
Raising teens is hard, and there will undoubtedly be moments when you shake your head and wonder where your sweet little boy went. There might also be some moments when you have to bite your tongue because, well, no one can button push like an adolescent. But at the end of the day, they love you, and you love them. When you give them a gift, make sure that love comes through not in how much money you spend, but in how well it shows you know them.
One day, not too far from now, your teenage boy will walk out of your front door not as a child, but as a man. Make sure he leaves knowing that part of appreciating life is remembering to make time for play.
