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Give your high school graduate a leg up in their next chapter, whether it's help with decorating their new apartment or the best laptop for college.
Dagne Dover; Amazon
High school graduations are bittersweet; your graduate has achieved a significant milestone and they may be headed out the door for school, work, or a gap year full of travel.
High school graduates are also an age group that can benefit immensely from thoughtful gifts. They may not have the cash to buy the clothes or tech they'll want for internships or coursework, but friends and family can chip in to lighten the load.
If your graduate is headed to college, equip them with the gear they'll want for school spirit game days. Fanatics is full of clothing, hats, bags, balls, games, and drinkware for NCAA schools.
Whether your graduate's next chapter includes work or more schooling, it'll almost certainly include many cups of coffee. We recommend this drip coffee maker as the best version on a budget, but you can read more about it — and other models we like — in our buying guide to the best drip coffee makers in 2022.
If you're able, give them a huge leg up with a new computer for their schoolwork. (If it's a bit expensive for you personally, maybe other friends or family will contribute too.)
If your graduate is headed to school, they'll probably spend the next few years lugging their laptop around campus and into work. Get them a comfortable, trendy, polished backpack they can use for all of it.
Noise-canceling headphones for the library or commute
Sony's WH-1000XM4 are our favorite noise-canceling headphones; they balance sound quality, noise cancellation, and comfort. We'd recommend them as the perfect companion for long commutes to work, focusing during studying, or relaxing.
If they're headed far from home, set them up with a suitcase that makes traveling easier. This one has an ejectable external battery that charges devices on the go, 360-degree wheels, and weighs only 7.6 pounds. Throw in packing cubes if you really want to go the extra mile.
Gift cards for setting up a dorm or new adult space
Give your graduate the funds to outfit their room with organization bins, fresh towels, sheets, and anything else they'll probably need but won't want to spend the money to buy.
If they're headed into a new job or college internship after their high school graduation, help bankroll the clothes they'll wear into interviews and the office. Pick up a classic blazer from J. Crew or Nordstrom, or give them a gift card to stores like Everlane or Bonobos so they can pick it out themselves.
Whether you can't be there in person or you want to supplement another gift, send your graduate beautiful flowers to celebrate their achievement. We recommend UrbanStems; the company's bouquets are one of the best items we've ever tested.
If you're looking for something that won't be gone after a couple of weeks, you'll also find options for potted plants and low-maintenance dried bouquets.
No one likes to be left out at night with a dead phone. Gift them an external battery so they'll always have a backup for calling friends or a ride home.
Few high school graduates are enthusiastic about cooking a well-rounded meal for themselves every night. They'll appreciate the thought if the next few late-night meals or hurried lunches are on your dime.
This book gives readers an excellent idea of how to build a healthy savings account. Mostly, they just need to choose the right investments so their money automatically grows for them.
Libby Kane, Insider's Executive Editor for Personal Finance, says she regularly buys a new copy of this book just to give away, and it's an excellent introduction to making the most of your personal finances — especially for young graduates who may be new to managing money.
The Sonos Move is the best all-around Bluetooth speaker you can buy. It has excellent sound quality, a good battery life that can last up to 11 hours on the go, and convenient smart features such as connecting to smart assistants from Amazon and Google. It'll be useful for travel, hosting their friends, or for listening to music at home.
If you'd rather gift something even more portable and low-maintenance, we'd also suggest the best waterproof speaker we've tested: the UE Boom 3. Read more about it here in our guide to the best Bluetooth speaker.
If your graduate goes through notebook after notebook, this reusable option offers a long-lasting solution. They can use the included pen to take notes, scan each page with an accompanying app to save the pages digitally, and then wipe away the notes to reuse the same page.
If they're headed to college, your high school graduate will probably be spending their fair share of Saturdays sprawled out on the quad's grass. This blanket is packable, machine- and dryer-safe, and water-resistant. It's also one of the Insider Reviews All-Time Best products we've ever tested.
We love Hydro Flask's insulated, dishwasher-safe bottles — they'll keep hot drinks hot or cold drinks ice-cold for hours. This is also one of the items featured in our list of the All-Time Best products we've tested.
Whether they're heading into a new college town, starting a new job, or taking a gap year, there will be nights when it's more convenient or safer for your graduate to Uber home. Having a gift card already loaded into their account just makes it an easier decision to make.
It may not be the most strictly fun gift, but every graduate should have a toolbox. It'll help them build their furniture and fix household issues when their landlord doesn't pick up any of their calls.
