29 High School Graduation Gifts They’ll Actually Use and Cherish (or Post on TikTok)

Made of water-repellent fabric, this 11.4- by 6.9-inch carry bag has a four liter capacity when full, so they can easily tote around their essentials (keys, credit card, phone) and then some. Side drop-in pockets and an exterior zip pocket keep everything organized, and the sleek recycled poly and nylon fabrication and design is both on trend enough that she'll love it now, and classic enough that she can carry it for years. (PureWow associate deals editor Destinee Scott deems the City Essentials Shoulder Bag "super chic—and very functional.")

I have this Bluetooth-enabled palm-sized printer that makes prints and/or stickers from shots you take on your phone, and it's a joy to use. My Gen Z friends and family members like it to take to get-togethers to leave friends with actual photo paper keepsakes (old school) but created in seconds (new tech). The printer is rechargeable, and this bundle comes with enough paper to make 20 photos, but to be really baller, gift this with a 50-count pack of Zink photo paper ($25).

"I bought my Away Bigger Carry-On almost four years ago and have since taken it on dozens of flights, train rides and road trips," says PureWow wellness director Sarah Stiefvater. "Like many people, I was immediately taken by the sleek exterior—its streamlined silhouette is right up my alley—and the impressive size that the brand says fits in most major airlines’ overhead bins (I’ve never been on a flight where it didn’t fit)." It weights less than 8 pounds, has 360-degree spinning wheels and a quick-release trolley handle that clicks to two heights. Also—it comes with its own luggage tag, great for absent-minded travel newbies.

This brand of natural soy candles with organic wicks is all about reminding your giftee of their big achievement. This one has lemon flower, jasmine and rosemary top notes to keep the grad uplifted and energetic on the way to bigger and better achievements. And if the grad already has plans to go away to school, you can get them a candle based on their home, with scents customized to everywhere from Texas to Washington, D.C.

Is your high school grad so excited about the university they are headed to? And/or is their legacy graduate parent? Then the whole family will like this customized cotton-blend sweatshirt in your choice of 10 colors. It's embroidered—not just screen-printed like those ones at the college union—with school name and city. You'll get an approval of your design before it's shipped, and the turnaround time for production is a mere two weeks, so they'll have time to wear it all over their hometown before they depart.

Neck stacks are all the rage, and your giftee will appreciate this personalized goes-with-everything gold-plated brass initial necklace. The rainbow of semi-precious stones and the slanted presentation of their initial are super distinctive, and they're sure to get lots of compliments (as well as help people remember their name) when they wear it.

PureWow Associate Commerce Editor Natalie LaBarbera gave this 6-in-1 air fryer and toaster oven with steam infusion a rave review: It's a "cross between an air fryer and toaster oven, made to do it all in a convenient countertop size," she said. "I'm impressed by how much use I actually get out of it. Not only does it eliminate the need to buy multiple appliances for each cooking method, it also saves valuable counter space—a godsend for those of us that live in small spaces." It's only  11.5 inches wide by 11.6 inches tall and 10.6 inches deep, so it takes up no more room than a conventional Crockpot. And in four cute colors including blue salt and muted pink, it attracts even the cooking-averse to give it a whirl.

These sheets get a lot of buzz online (4.4 out of 5-star rating, based on more than 338,000 reviews), but VP of Editorial Content Candace Davison wasn't convinced they were all that. Then, "as soon as I pulled the sheets out, I was surprised by their softness. Most sheet sets under $50 have a certain...starchiness right out of the package (unless they’re jersey); these were borderline velvety," she said in her review. "Now, after four years of regular washing, they're still every bit as smooth and soft. No frayed threads, no pilling. Honestly, I'm shocked they've held up so well." Your giftee will appreciate the temperature-adjusting microfiber during all those long post-party -study sleep sessions.

The trending Icon Juice glass series is distinguished by the little glass beads pressed into the borosilicate glass surface. Colorful sun, cloud, even tennis ball patterns make these fun to use, and the strong glass, metal straw and tight-fitting wood lid is eco-chic at its finest.

Everyone needs their own hammer to hang a picture or knock a door frame back into place. But this kit, while slender enough to fit on a shelf or under a bed, allows them to do so much more than just hammer—they can measure, level, cut, screw and even use the Allen wrench sets to assemble some Ikea pieces.

This little LED night light/decor element glows orange, blue, pink, red, green and purple when it's plugged in. There's little evidence to support the lamp's purported health benefits (it's said that the salt releases negative ions, which help calm users); however, the happy little light, in our experience, is a calming presence to look at, sort of like the contemporary version of a lava lamp. Mined in Pakistan of pure salt from the Himalayas, this lamp will appeal to your high school grad. Note: The lamp comes with a USB cable but not a power brick, so include one with your gift to be super-thoughtful.

These lavender bath salts with chamomile and vetiver are a calming addition to a daily wind-down ritual, which every young person can benefit from. "This is fantastic; you only need a small amount no more than a teaspoon," writes one reviewer. "I always have an amazing night's sleep after using it, so relaxed."

This digital alarm clock lets you simulate a bright sunrise lasting from 10 to 60 minutes, and a dimmable sunset function that can be set from 10 to 120 minutes. Set it to one of 12 colors, and enjoy waking to not only music bur pre-set nature sounds (chirpy birdsong, anyone?). Most importantly, your sleepy giftee can hit the snooze button for 9 more minutes of sleep up to five times per alarm.

This cute reinforced rolling bag is a lifesaver for lugging laundry, hauling groceries or whatever else. For example, you cooking-obsessed grad can just roll this along behind them and won’t have to touch any grimy grocery carts. This allows them to plunder supermarkets, farmers markets and specialty food stores and load up to 66 pounds inside. Best of all, the 6- x 12- x 20-inch bag collapses flat to stow under a bed between uses.

From the broad strokes (you can assemble the adjustable up-down mechanism to the left or right side, depending on your primary hand) to the small details (there's a hook for hanging headphones to keep your desk tidy), this standing desk is ideal for energetic types or recovering couch potatoes. There are even four memory settings to quickly resume the perfect standing or sitting heights.

Our reviewer gave this phone sanitizing device high marks for ease of use and aesthetics, so we’re thinking this it’ll be a slam dunk for young adults who are very not into germs. Using UV-C light technology, 99.99 of bacteria—tests have proved it works on  Salmonella, E. coli, MRSA, H1N1, Coronavirus 229E, Staphylococcus, Rhinovirus and Rotavirus—are eliminated safely from your device after shutting it inside for just 10 minutes.

Weighing just over a pound, this intense little massager is verstile: roll it under a sore foot, against a wall for a tight back-and-shoulder area or across a calf when shin splints happen. Three vibration settings let users really get in there to ease tight muscles, and the device keeps its zip for 120 minutes on a single charge.

This slender volume is only 144 pages and not even among the late author's most acclaimed work. But the essay, a verbatim transcription of a 2005 Kenyon College commencement address that the novelist and essayist delivered, absolutely sings with both beautifully written philisophical hard truths and inspiring perspectives. The slightly askew and yet completely relatable advice is just the sort of example that young writers are so hungry for.

This plastic-and-metal chair can be customized for maximum comfort and support, thanks to an adjustable seat height as well as a swivel-and-tilt mechanism. The five-pointed star base with wheels makes it extra sturdy, and the maximum weight capacity is 275 pounds. (And you can tell your giftee that this also works for studying, in case all those hours spent gaming gets boring.)

This 12-pound channel-stitched blanket is sized for one person to crawl under it and feel soothed. And it comes with a removable cover, so it’ll stay tidy. Added plus: This blanket's outside layer has a patented technology that was created to balance sleep temperatures.

The Shark uses a Tri-Brush System—side brushes, channel brushes and a multi-surface brush roll—to handle debris on all surfaces. The 5.9-inch cleaning path lets it zip around whatever little room or apartment your graduate winds up in, and they don't even have to remember to use it, since schedules can be set to run remotely. Best of all, it learns home layouts, to avoid getting stuck before it can happen.

Made of eco-friendly waterproof canvas, this backpack is minimalist-chic—and available in your choice of 21 colorways. It's got a trolley sleeve to slip onto their carry-on suitcase handle if they are traveling with it, and tons of inside pockets to organize glasses, wallet, keys, earphones, cell phone and documents, as well as a laptop up to 15.6 inches. There's even a built-in cable to attach a power bank to, so your can charge your phone, iPad or earbuds as you commute.

There's no better way to recognize the accomplishments of a recent grad then by spelling it all out for them—namely, by gifting them a necklace with their name in delicate cursive letters. This iteration is done in .925 sterling silver—you can also order versions in gold plating, gold vermeil and rose gold vermeil. Trend alert: In addition to ordering with your giftee's given name, you might consider inspirational words such as “Strength,” “Breathe” and “Grace.”

Experience the charm of Stars Hollow with this Gilmore Girls edition of Monopoly. Choose an iconic token from the series (think a Dragonfly Room Key, Luke’s Baseball Hat, Cup of Coffee, among others). Buy iconic properties like Kim’s Antiques, Doose’s Market and the Independence Inn. Finally, the "Where You Lead" and "I Will Follow" cards relive some of the most memorable scenes from the series.

The grad will enjoy 4K Ultra HD cinematic entertainment with their new Firestick Max, thanks to the quad-core 1.8 GHz processor that brings 40 percent more power than previous models, plus faster app starts and more fluid navigation.

Noise-canceling and portable, they can just slip these babies in their ears, lean back and zone out while they listen to everything from their meditation app to their fave podcast host’s vocal fry.

Those of us who survived prep school in these non-slip, better as they age leather shoes worn by sailing enthusiasts are amused by the new fad for designer boat shoes. Get your giftee a pair of the originals—not only will they look great and get more comfortable the more he wears them, his classmates will see he's wearing garb that signals he really belongs.

This little (10 x 9 x 7 inches) drawstring bag looks cute but its actually so durable. The nylon, polyethylene, polyester construction has an insulated and water-resistant interior that really keeps food items chill—and easily wipes clean.

As a mom of a recent high school grad, I'm going to drop some real facts now—they frequently don't remember to charge their phones. (Shocking, I know.) This little powerhouse gets top marks on Amazon for high-speed charging, has 6 different output cables attached—perfect to make up for that phone cord going missing and to accommodate friends' phone makes and/or upgrades in the grad's own phone. The manufacturer touts its charging power bank powers up the iPhone 15 up to 60 percent in just 30 minutes...approximately the same amount of time to decide on an outfit before heading out.