The 22 Best Gifts for Teens That Won’t Get an Eye-Roll

Teenagers are a notoriously tough crowd to please when it comes to gift-giving; their tastes change with the wind and their moods can be just as flighty. That’s why many givers just cut to the chase and go with cold, hard cash. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. But remember back in the day when they jumped for joy after receiving sparkly barrettes or the latest action figure?

To help you recapture some of that glee, we asked style, tech and parenting experts —as well as actual teenagers—for teen gifts that are guaranteed to go over well. (Note: We’ve included a few higher price points in case you’re giving a combo birthday-holiday gift.)

For mani fans

If you’re looking to spoil a manicure lover but aren’t keen on hard-to-book spas or steep salon prices, consider Olive & June’s stylish substitute. Made of recycled materials, the press-ons are easy to apply and take off, reusable and gentle on your real nails, says content creator Ren Fernández-Kim. Each set of 42 nails includes non-damaging glue and application tools and comes in various options from extra-short and floral to classic French. If you’re not sure which your teen will love, choose the Press-on System, which comes with four shapes and colors.

For teens on the go

This compact Kånken backpack from Swedish brand Fjällräven (pronounced fyel-ray-vn, which means Arctic Fox, if your recipient is curious), is water resistant and comes in a variety of colors. Your giftee can wear it on their back or carry it from its top handle, so it’s good for a commute or a bike ride across town.

For accessory wearers

Made of recycled, solid 14-Karat gold in a Brooklyn studio, this delicate-looking bracelet is surprisingly sturdy, says Los Angeles-based style expert Tennille Murphy, who gifted them to her daughters and bought one for herself as “an upscale take on a friendship bracelet.” They’re versatile enough to layer with chunkier bracelets, she adds—and if you’re able to visit one of the two New York City stores or one of the company’s traveling pop-ups, your teen can get theirs “zapped” onto their wrist, which means “it’s literally welded on for perfect sizing, no clasp needed.”

For a cologne upgrade

If you don’t love inexpensive teen body sprays wafting through your home, this lighter scent from Hugo Boss has crowd-pleasing citrus, ginger and woodsy notes without being overpowering.

For a beauty aficionados

It’s tricky to buy makeup for a teen, but this Borboleta lash serum is an option for their cosmetics bag that isn’t actually makeup. Eyelash serum continues to be a big hit with this generation, and has recognizable ingredients (biotin, peptides, etc.).

For Swifties

If your giftee is a Swiftie there is a lot of merch on the market. Teens we consulted have this two-LP album on their lists for listening—and for displaying on a bedroom wall shelf. If your Swiftie is crafty, our teens noted that Eras Tour attendees are creating and exchanging bracelets; this bead box kit lets them create their own.

For budding style experts

We can’t guarantee they’ll start actually making curfew, but the Once Again from Swatch, with its Bauhaus-inspired dial, is a great, unisex watch. One of our Buy Side contributors swears by this nice-price timepiece for traveling and everyday wear.

For the lipgloss fan

Even parents who aren’t crazy about their kid’s embrace of makeup won’t blink if you give a lovely lip product that will also prevent chapped lips this winter. Teens who shared their holiday lists with us like this Lip Butter Balm and this popular Laneige pick, too.

For a footwear refresh

Teens love white sneakers. Their parents? Well, they just imagine how they’ll immediately get dirty and look dingy. Your solve: Give a machine washable pair of classic canvas Converse All Stars. Pair with some Mr. Clean Magic Erasers to help them keep the rubber sides shiny clean.

For makeup fun

Morphe Cosmetics is known for collaborations with beauty influencers and TikTok stars and this multi-tasker palette comes with stackable matte and shimmer shades—including an eyeshadow, blush, lip tint and sparkly multi-use balm. “The formulas are versatile,” notes Tracie Turner, the New Orleans-based makeup artist behind the Face by Trace studio, and can be applied “with your fingers or with a brush.” She adds that the softer colors in this set make it age-appropriate for tweens, too. (See more makeup gift set picks.)

For more manageable locks

If the teen on your list could use a hair dryer upgrade and you have the budget, this dryer is the high-end racing car of dryer-styler combos. For a lower price point, the Revlon One-Step Volumizer PLUS 2.0 with its gentler ceramic-titanium barrel is a great option to dry and style in one quick step, maybe even getting a teen to school on time.

For analog enthusiasts

Here’s a think-fast, no-screens-required game that high-schoolers find entertaining, says Michelle Icard, Charlotte,N.C.-based parenting expert and author of “Fourteen Talks by Age 14.” Players receive a card with an off-beat prompt, like “Summarize the Star Wars movies” or “Tell someone their fly is open,” and are challenged to come up with responses using only a handful of randomly selected word tiles. The silly spontaneity is what makes it a hit, she says, because deep down, “kids this age still want to be playful.”

For the best-dressed

Teens with a finger on the fashion world’s pulse may enjoy shades from Quay, a brand Lizzo and other celebrities have been spotted in. “They add effortless fierceness to any outfit,” says Tsays Niqui Bishop, one half of the Dallas-based mother and daughter duo behind the Fash-N-Curious style blog, referring to a similar pair. The Bishops endorse pairs that are unisex and fit the face comfortably.

For avid snackers

Broaden their palate beyond the usual convenience-store staples with this subscription present. Each month they’ll receive a box of bounty representing a new country, which means they’ll sample anything from Thai salted pineapple candy to Colombian bacon-and-lime chips—and they can read about the local culture in the included trivia booklet. “Our kids got a huge kick out of challenging each other to taste the ones that made them nervous,” Icard says. “I loved seeing them expand their sense of adventure.”

For easy bedroom cleanups

Getting a teen to clean up crumbs or spills is simpler if they have their own hand vac handy. This Black & Decker model topped our testing, while this Eufy one comes in black, white and a minty pale green.

For makeup connoisseurs

Any makeup lover who’s ever tried to get their blending just right can tell you an ordinary bathroom wall mirror just won’t do. For teens who make primping a priority, this pick from Murphy is the ideal gift. The detachable main mirror spins 360 degrees and has three LED light settings that you can recharge with the included USB cord. But it’s the smaller 10x magnifying attachment that her college-age daughter adores most. “It’s perfect for applying her winged eyeliner,” Murphy says, and because the mirror’s magnetic pole unscrews from the base, she can easily pack it up and tote it home for weekend visits.

For low-key kids

Shake things up a bit with this riff on a game everyone knows well. Instead of one person silently acting out a word or phrase for a group, a group acts out the clue for one guesser. “It takes the pressure off the performer,” Icard says, which makes it a good choice for teens who don’t love being in the spotlight solo. “There’s an element of controlled chaos as everyone tries to work together.”

For the gamer

This plug-in, arcade-style game is a smart choice for teens who may want a break from the intensity of today’s RPG’s and Battle Royales, according to Scott Steinberg, a New York City-based strategic consultant and expert on tech trends. With a click of the joystick, they can choose between the original Pac-Man, Super Pac-Man, Dig-Dug and Rally-X, all with their familiar songs and sound effects. And it’s sized just right for parents wary of clutter—compact enough to fit on a shelf or end table.

For the music lover

There’s a reason people often think of their teenage years as a soundtrack. “Music is life for teens,” says Los Angeles-based lifestyle expert  Veena Goel Crownholm, “and a good portable speaker is everything.” This one is her go-to, not only for its 20-hour playing time but also because it allows two people to control the playlist from their devices. It also has a built-in power bank for charging a phone or other gadgets, and because it’s water resistant, they can bring it to the beach.

For anyone artsy

Some faux tattoos seem young-ish, but the artist-created ones from Inkbox are sophisticated, realistic-looking and longer-lasting—typically from 10 days to two weeks—making them more appealing to older kids, says Fernández-Kim. There’s a design to suit pretty much any aesthetic, or they can create a custom one inspired by a pet or favorite book character, for example. And for teens wanting to do a trial run before getting the real deal, “it’s more fun with fewer regrets.”

—Additional reporting by Leslie Yazel

Shop more Buy Side from WSJ gift guides:

• 15 of the Best Gifts for Babies, According to Parenting Pros
• 9 Gifts for Grandparents That Are Always a Hit
• 13 Stocking Stuffers for Grown-Ups That Are Fun and Useful