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Being a teenage girl is hard enough without having to fake a smile opening up uncool gifts year after year. This is why we’ve created a guide for gifting age-appropriate presents that the teen in your life will love. A lot can change between thirteen and eighteen, which is why we’ve included options for any birthday celebration from her sweet 16 to her first year of teenagehood.
The key to finding the best gifts for teenage girls is to stay on-trend. Do away with the notion that all girls want something pink and sparkly. Leave behind what you think you know about teen gifts and tap into the latest styles and crazes, from grunge-inspired boots to smart notebooks, cool LED lights, to vintage records.
Girls this age are constantly evolving, re-inventing themselves, discovering their identities, and overcoming challenges. It’s important to give a gift that is both practical and fun. Think about purchasing a present that elevates their living space, promotes self-care, supports a healthy lifestyle, instills confidence, or helps them face the world head-on. As long as your gift is thoughtfully selected, it won’t go to waste. However, if TikTok reminds you more of the Kesha song than the app, or you don’t know what it means to “stan” something, then you might need a little help.
We’ve created a list of our top birthday gifts for teenage girls to help you be crowned “favorite” at the party (though we can’t do much if someone decides to wrap up a set of new car keys).
- Best Gift for 13-Year-Old Girls: Nintendo Switch – Lite
- Best Gift for 15-Year-Old Girls: Fujifilm Instax Mini 11
- Best Sweet 16 Gift for Girls: Dr. Martens Jadon Platform Boot
- Best Gift for 18-Year-Old Girls: Apple AirPods Pro
- Unique Gift for Teenage Girls Who Love to Read: Toni Morrison Box Set: The Bluest Eye, Song of Solomon, Beloved
- Cool Gifts for Teenage Girls Who Love Music: Fluance RT85 Record Player
- Best Gifts for Teenage Girls Who Love Beauty: HAUS LABORATORIES by Lady Gaga Four-Way Shadow Palette
- Best Gifts for Sporty Teen Girls: Hydro Flask Water Bottle
- Techy, Thoughtful Gifts for Teenage Girls: Moleskine Pen+ Ellipse Smart Writing Set
- Best Gifts for Teen Girls under $25: LED Strip Lights
Your guide to the best gifts for teenage girls
Teenagers are complex, to say the least. They have approximately six years to go through many intense changes socially, physically, and emotionally, which means they deserve nothing but stellar birthday gifts along the way. Get the teenage girl in your life something relevant that they’ll appreciate, something that takes the edge off of adolescence. We’ve put together some helpful tips as well as some of the best gifts for teenage girls to get you feeling inspired while you get your list together.
Best Gifts for 13-Year-Old Girls: Nintendo Switch – Lite
Entertainment at Any Age
Finding gifts for 13 year old girls (or boys) is never easy. However, a Nintendo Switch is a terrific gift for your new teenager. They provide hours of entertainment with an endless number of compatible games. From thirteen to thirty-three, everyone loves a few rounds of Super Mario Kart, and don’t even get us started on Animal Crossing. These games and many others are rated “E for Everyone,” so you won’t have to worry about monitoring the material; plus, there are many other options they can choose from as they grow up. The Switch Lite is a cute, slimmer version of the larger Switch model, available in coral, yellow, grey, and turquoise. It’s super portable, easily fitting inside a backpack pocket, purse, or tote with a 5.5-inch touch screen, integrated controls, and a built-in control pad. We can guarantee your teen will thank you when they can take turns playing new games with their friends anytime, anywhere.
Best Gifts for 15-Year-Old Girls: Fujifilm Instax Mini 11
Memories That Will Last
What are the best gifts for 15 year old teenage girls? While selfies and filters are still all the rage, an instant film camera is great gift for a fifteen-year-old looking to take cool pictures and save new memories. To put it plainly, film is cool again; disposables are making a comeback, and instant cameras are here to stay. The film mimics (dare we say inspired?) many of the filters that apps like Instagram and VSCO offer, creating unique images with every shutter click. This particular camera comes in five colors: lilac, sky blue, white, charcoal grey, and blush pink. The Mini 11 will automatically choose the perfect shutter speed based on the lighting, plus there is a built-in selfie mirror to pair with “selfie-mode.” The set comes with a matching carrying case, a twin pack of white-framed film, a single pack of rainbow-framed film, and travel stickers.
Best Sweet 16 Gifts for Girls: Dr. Martens Jadon Platform Boot
Classic and Cool
If you’re looking for the best gifts for teenage girls all about style, go for a pair of Dr. Martens boots. These shoes look stylish and are super durable, so they’ll potentially last throughout the rest of her teen years. Docs are a great way to upgrade their everyday footwear with something that’s on-trend and versatile. While the brand makes a ton of different styles and shapes, we are partial to their Jadon platform boot—and so are the influencers your teen is probably watching. These iconic shoes are made in the USA and from 100 percent leather with a synthetic sole.
Best Gifts for 18-Year-Old Girls: Apple AirPods Pro
Turn it Up
AirPods are one of the best gifts for people of all ages, but they’re particularly perfect for eighteen-year-old girls. These tiny earbuds come with a wireless charging case that provides more than 24 hours of battery life and up to 4.5 continuous hours of listening. Plus, your teen can customize their fit with silicone tips bolstered by adaptive EQ that tunes the music to the shape of their ears. The AirPod Pros are noise-canceling, so she can tune everything out while studying, exercising, or zoning out, but they also have a new feature: Transparency-mode. This setting lets sound in, allowing for more of a connection to the surrounding world.
AirPods are also a great going-away gift for her. If your teen is about to head off to college, a new pair of compact, Bluetooth headphones are a necessity for getting through daily walks to class, late-night library sessions, listening to lecture recordings, and long phone calls to family back home.
Unique Gifts for Girls Who Love to Read: Toni Morrison Box Set: The Bluest Eye, Song of Solomon, Beloved
Brains and Beauty
Finding unique gifts for teenage girls can be a challenge. If your teenager is a bookworm, we recommend selecting a box set of books that will complement their age, challenge their thinking, and introduce them to new narratives. Toni Morrison was a Pulitzer Prize and National Book Critics Award-winning author. She was a recipient of the Nobel Prize in Literature and the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Her writing addresses the nature of racism in America, depicting complex characters, magical events, generational trauma, and celebration. The Bluest Eye, included in this Toni Morrison box set along with Beloved and Song of Solomon, is a lauded coming-of-age story that takes place during the end of the Great Depression. It’s a beautiful, intense read for any teenage girl looking to expand their horizons, think critically, and confront complex ideas.
Cool Gifts for Teen Girls Who Love Music: Fluance RT85 Record Player
Vintage Vibe
Just like instant film cameras, record players are certifiably cool again, and we’re not complaining. It’s fun to see music in a concrete form, and cycling through different albums is an excellent activity when hanging out with friends. Plus, many current artists, like Taylor Swift and Frank Ocean, are putting out vinyl copies of their newest albums, so your teen can listen to her preferred contemporary singers as well as old-school favorites. You might be surprised to hear how many teenage girls are getting into Fleetwood Mac today.
This Fluance record player puts out a beautiful sound; with an acrylic platter, Ortofon 2M Blue elliptical cartridge, and speed control for precision playback. If you’re looking for a more budget-friendly pick or you’re not sure if the budding audiophile in your life is ready for such an analog commitment, check out this Bluetooth-compatible, portable model by Victrola.
Best Gifts for Teens Who Love Beauty: HAUS LABORATORIES by Lady Gaga Four-Way Shadow Palette
Ultra Pigmented
With television shows like Euphoria and Glow at the forefront of at-home entertainment, popular makeup looks have gotten bolder and more creative. If you’re looking for a beauty gift for a blossoming makeup artist, we recommend reaching for an eyeshadow quad. The palettes from Lady Gaga’s makeup line incorporate mattes and shimmers, and come in both bold and neutral colorways. They’re blendable, pigmented, and of course, popstar-approved. From makeup experts to new users, these shadows are suitable for any ability and an excellent way to experiment with different looks. Not sure eyeshadow is right for your teen? Try a cult-classic liquid liner, and consider picking up a few different colors for her to experiment with.
Best Gifts for Sporty Girls: Hydro Flask Water Bottle
Practical and Fun
This water bottle from Hydro Flask is an exceptional gift for sporty teenagers. It comes in a ton of fun colors and two sizes, 32 and 40-ounce, to help them stay hydrated during tough workouts or long team practice. With double-wall insulation, their drink can be kept cold for up to 24 hours, or warm for up to six. The stainless steel construction is durable, and the straw top makes it easy to take a sip during high-impact activities like biking, hiking, or running. The powder color coat is dishwasher safe and slip-free; a great base-layer for a bottle that’s sure to be covered in your teen’s favorite stickers soon.
Techy, Thoughtful Gifts for Teenage Girls: Moleskine Pen+ Ellipse Smart Writing Set
Studious and Sleek
If you want to get your tech-savvy teen something unique and unexpected, we recommend this smart notebook and pen set from Moleskine. It’s an entertaining way to make note-taking easier and studying more fun. Think about all the time your teen spends in class jotting down notes—or maybe they are super creative and want to write on the go; this is a great way to digitize their thoughts and ideas without having to drag a laptop everywhere. A companion app will transfer all content to their smartphone or another device in real time while they write. These notes can then be further edited, notated, and shared electronically. Each set comes with a digital smart Pen+, paper tablet, a recharging cable, and Pen+ ink refill. The notebook is sleek and stylish, so your teenager will receive a classy gift with a techy surprise.
Best Gifts for Teen Girls under $25: LED Strip Lights
TikTok Trendy
LED strip lights are the perfect budget-friendly gifts for teen girls. These bedroom lights are popping up left and right across all social media platforms, inspiring teens to turn their bedrooms into moody, atmospheric lounges. These Daybetter lights are almost 33 feet long, self-adhesive, and cuttable, so she can customize each strip to fit her space. Use the included remote to select from over 18 colors, six modes that include jumps or fades, and two speeds for cycling between colors. The lights can be mounted along bedroom walls, underneath bookshelves, around furniture, and more.
The bottom line on the best gifts for teenage girls
The best gifts for teenage girls will be connected to her interests, tuned into the latest trends, and selected with her future in mind. A little bit of thought goes a long way and guarantees she’ll actually enjoy her present. Whether she’s about to celebrate her sweet 16 or preparing for college, get your teenager a gift that shows you know and value the young adult she’s becoming.
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