Best graduation gifts for him: 50+ gift ideas
Get him something practical or fun to celebrate his accomplishments.
By
Miller Kern
on
Miller Kern
Deputy Shopping Editor
Miller Kern is the Deputy Editor of Shopping and Reviews at Mashable, where she writes and edits reviews, roundups, deals, and news stories about tech products, including headphones, skincare devices, laptops, sex toys, e-readers, robot vacuums, and more. She's been covering all things shopping and tech, including shopping holidays like Prime Day and Black Friday, for Mashable since 2019. Miller can tell you which products are actually worth your money. She also explores trends in the shopping sphere, such as dupes and viral TikTok moments.
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If you know a guy who is gearing up to walk across that stage in a cap and gown to receive his diploma, but you're not sure what to get him to celebrate his special day, we’ve got a ton of great gift ideas that any grad will love this graduation season. College graduation is the perfect time to shower hard-working young adults with awesome gifts. They’re about to enter into a completely new life stage — often on their own and without rigid structure for the first time ever. It’s exciting and a little scary too — but it also means there are so many different categories of gifts that graduates would be more than happy to receive. You can go the practical route and gift smart home devices or kitchen appliances, or you can opt for a more fun gift like gadgets or games. Let’s dive into more than 50 of the best college graduation gifts for men.
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Credit: Bostionye
Phone Camera Lens Kit
Best for aspiring content creators
Compatible with a wide range of smartphones, this 10-in-1 lens skit allows users to switch between fish eye, telephoto, macro, and wide-angle options. For anyone who dabbles in photography or who is constantly sharing content to social media, this is sure to be a hit.
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Credit: Amazon
Echo Show
Best for the home
As your grad moves out of his college home, help him trade in shitty beer decorations for smart home devices. The Echo Show has a screen, meaning in addition to voice commands it can also show lyrics, weather forecasts, recipes, to-do lists — you name it. He can use the Show to play music, request a rideshare, order a pizza, and more.
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Credit: Apple
MacBook Air
Best for productivity
Laptops tend to degrade after a few years and your graduate has likely been using the same one for the last four years. Upgrade him to a new MacBook Air. It's thin and lightweight and features a Retina display, Touch ID, the latest keyboard, and has all-day battery life.
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Credit: Amazon
Kindle Paperwhite e-reader
Best for the reader
Buying a Kindle as a grad gift is basically like gifting a library. He'll be able to access millions of titles and listen to books with Audible. Plus if you're not sure what genre your grad likes, this gift enables you to get him all of them. The Kindle Paperwhite is thin, light, and waterproof.
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Credit: iRobot
Roomba robot vacuum
Best for a tidy home
Give the gift of convenience with a vacuum that takes the work out of cleaning. The Roomba 694 allows your grad to schedule cleaning across multiple floor types. The robot vacuum can even sense concentrated areas of dirt and work harder in those sections.
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Credit: Anker
Anker portable charger
Best for the grad on the go
Phones are honestly a necessity at this point. Don't let your favorite grad be left with a dead one. This portable charger from Anker can juice up his phone all the way multiple times just on one of its own charges. It's small enough that he can slip it in his bag or pocket wherever he goes.
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Credit: Amazon
50-inch 4K smart TV
Best for home entertainment
Another home upgrade here in case your grad has been watching Netflix on his laptop or a less-than-stellar TV. This smart TV is 50 inches, which is a really decent size for a new apartment living room or bedroom. It displays 4K Ultra HD content and has video streaming apps built in.
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Credit: Amazon
Amazon Fire TV Stick
Best for streaming
If a whole new TV is out of your budget, you can still *kind of* give the gift of a smart TV. The Amazon Fire TV Stick plugs into the HDMI port and gives standard televisions smart capabilities with access to streaming services and internet browsing.
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Credit: Apple
Apple Watch
Best for the tech-obsessed
With an Apple Watch, the new graduate will be able to monitor his health, track workouts, and access apps and notifications. You can go for the model that just connects to WiFi or dish out a little more for the one with cellular connection.
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Credit: Apple
Apple iPad Air
Best for taking tech on the go
A new laptop might not be the most feasible gift, but you can still surprise him with some new technology. This iPad Air has a 10.9-inch Retina display with up to 10 hours of battery life. It's available as either 64GB or 256GB, with or without cellular, and in several different colors.
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Credit: Shutterfly
Photo book
Best for saving memories
If the grad has a bunch of senior photos he doesn't know what to do with, pop them into a photo book. This is a great, thoughtful way to display all those photos that might otherwise be lost to a Facebook album. Plus, you can write captions and sentimental notes throughout the book.
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Credit: Bopai
Backpack
Best for a bag upgrade
Ok, we know that a recent college grad has been carrying a backpack for most of his life, but this is the perfect time to upgrade to a more professional style. Depending on the line of work your grad is going into, he might need a good, put-together looking bag. This sleek backpack comes in three colors.
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Credit: Boombox Gifts
Boombox custom keepsake box
Best sentimental gift
Similar to a photo book, this one pulls at the heartstrings a bit. It's a box filled with letters and photos dedicated to the graduate. You can gift this alone or have collaborators work on it with you to give the grad a special keepsake box of memories.
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Credit: GiftCards.com
Visa gift card
Best for the grad with debt
Everyone talks about the broke college student, but what about the broke graduate in an entry-level job with student loan payments? That's who really needs some monetary help. Provide a little cushion for your grad as he enters the real world.
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Credit: Shari's Berries
Shari's Berries
Best for the sweet tooth
Chocolate covered strawberries are a gift that can be enjoyed immediately. They're often something people crave but don't buy themselves. So, treat your favorite grad to some decadent treats to celebrate his accomplishments.
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Weighted blanket
Best for relaxation
One tough adjustment from college to adult life is transitioning to a regular sleep schedule. Weighted blankets are designed to help people sleep better by making them feel swaddled (like getting a hug) and my even help with the release of dopamine (the happy hormone.)
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Credit: GiftCards.com
Restaurant gift card
Best for a free meal
After four years of campus food and ramen, treat the grad to something else. Okay, he's definitely eaten out at some point in the last four years, but it's still nice to have someone else foot the bill. After all, adult life doesn't come with a meal plan.
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Credit: GiftCards.com
Bed Bath & Beyond gift card
Best for a new apartment
Graduating college often means moving. And stocking a new home with furniture and other essentials is not cheap. Help the grad out with a gift card to Bed Bath & Beyond where he can pick up some items to get his new house feeling like home.
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Credit: Mainstays
Towel set
Best for the bath
Get the new grad's bathroom off to a fresh start with a set of matching towels. This set comes with four bath towels, two hand towels, and four wash cloths. There's something so adult about having matching sets, and this one comes in eight different color choices.
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Credit: Casper
Casper pillow
Best for great sleep
As your grad is stocking his new home, one of the last things he's going to want to drop a lot of money on is a pillow. This luxury pillow from Casper supports all sleeping positions and responds to movement throughout the night. Plus, it's super comfortable.
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Portable steamer
Best for neat clothes
If you know a new grad who hangs his clothes in the bathroom while he showers in an effort to combat wrinkles, upgrade him to a real steamer. This one is ready to use in two to three minutes and works with tap water. Plus, it's powerful enough to straighten out stiff cotton, linen, and denim.
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Two-way coffee maker
Best for daily energy boosts
This coffee maker can handle a grad who can run on one cup or needs a whole pot of joe to make it through the morning. It acts as a single-serve with a spout tall enough to fit a travel mug and can fill a 12-cup carafe, which is included with the machine.
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Essential oil diffuser
Best for aromatherapy
Add some zen to the graduate's life with an essential oil diffuser. This one cycles through seven colored lights, and has multiple mist diffuse modes. It also comes with a set of six aromatherapy oils that’ll bring some fresh scents to his bachelor pad.
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Credit: Instant Pot
Instant Pot
Best for making easy meals
Even if your grad isn't the best cook, he'll be able to make some pretty stellar meals with an Instant Pot. It's seven appliances in one, including slow cooker, pressure cooker, and sauté pan. He's able to set the Instant Pot on a timer and come back to it when his food is ready. It's a great gift for someone who wants to meal prep for one.
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Credit: Amazon Essentials
Bath robe
Best for lounging
Help the new grad feel cozy after his showers with this soft and breathable waffle-knit robe. It drops down to mid calf, has adjustable belt loops, and features two front pockets. It also comes in many colors and sizes for the perfect fit.
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Credit: Harry's
Shaving set
Best for grooming
Sometimes the best gifts are the things your guy would buy for himself anyway. By gifting an everyday item like razors, you take some of the financial burden off his regular expenses. With Harry's you're able to get a one-time set or gift monthly refills for a gift that keeps giving.
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Credit: Amazon Basics
Luggage set
Best for frequent flyers
Get your graduate ready for any post-grad vacations or trips home with a hardside luggage set. This one comes with 20-inch, 24-inch, and 28-inch suitcases with spinner wheels. The set is available in four different colors.
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Credit: Harry's
Toiletry bag
Best for organization
Help the grad keep his bathroom organized with place to put his toiletries. This bag is great for a razor, toothbrush, moisturizers, and other small products. It's water resistant and easy to clean, plus it has a stylish design.
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Tool kit
Best for home handiness
Everyone should have a good toolbox readily available, whether that's to hang up wall decor, build furniture, or perform some minor home improvements. This kit comes with 39 pieces, including a hammer, interchangeable screw driver, scissors, pliers, and more.
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Credit: Blue Apron
Blue Apron
Best for making life easier
Blue Apron takes the guesswork out of the question, "What's for dinner tonight?" The service sends everything your grad needs to make a full meal and will allow him to try new foods that he might not seek out on his own. The number of meals he gets depends on the amount you put on the gift card.
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Google WiFi system
Best to get connected
The Google WiFi system eliminates your grad's need for a router. It provides seamless coverage throughout the home, eliminating dead zones and buffering. And it's easier than going through a provider to set up a router.
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Spotify gift card
Best for the music lover
Graduating college is an exciting time, until you realize you lose all your student discounts. Help ease the transition of paying full price for music by gifting a Spotify gift card. The service typically costs about $10 per month, so you can cover a few month’s worth of ad-free tunes with your gift.
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Sheet set
Best for comfy rest
New sheets make sleeping even more enjoyable than it already is. This set comes with a fitted sheet, flat sheet, and two pillowcases that have the comfort and softness of 1,500 thread count Egyptian cotton. The fitted sheet also has reinforced elastic to help it stay in place. This sheet set comes in a variety of colors and sizes to fit your grad's needs.
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48-piece dinnerware set
Best for entertaining
Home items are not the most exciting gifts, but they are appreciated. You'll give the grad the ability to pocket money he would have spent on dishes to spend on something else. Plus, dinnerware sets don't come cheap, so you're doing him a solid by taking care of it.
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Cast iron skillet
Best for intermediate cooks
In addition to a standard cookware set, it's nice to have a cast iron skillet to handle some bacon or a morning frittata. This pan especially comes in handy if your grad doesn't have access to a grill but wants to whip up steaks or burgers. This skillet is pre-seasoned and comes with a silicone handle cover.
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18-piece cookware set
Best for fledgling chefs
Along with dinnerware, cookware is essential to a home, but not the most fun thing to buy for yourself. Which is why it makes such a good graduation gift. This set from T-fal includes different sized pots and pans as well as a few kitchen utensils.
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Planner
Best for getting organized
If organization is important to your grad (or you wish it were), this planner will come in handy. It's 12 months enclosed in a faux leather cover, giving it a stylish look. The inside features yearly, monthly, and daily calendar views with sections to write notes. It also comes with calendar stickers and features an inner pocket.
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Credit: What Do You Meme?
What Do You Meme?
Best for fun
Just because he's graduating college, doesn't mean he has to leave games behind. This Cards Against Humanity style game tasks players with creating the funniest meme with photo and caption cards. This game is an especially hilarious gift for anyone who has spent the better half of their life with the internet.
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Credit: Lewis Howes
"The Mask of Masculinity"
Best for self-reflection
This book addresses the different masks that men can sometimes feel they need to put on. Some of these include stoicism, aggression, and sexuality. The author addresses the complexities of being a man and how men can live as their truest selves. Reviewers say it's a must-read that tackles authenticity and societal pressures.
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Credit: Quip
Quip electric toothbrush
Best for a glistening smile
Electric toothbrushes have become pretty fancy — and quite pricey. Quip strips down to the basics with its sonic vibrating electric toothbrush. It looks like a standard brush in both style and size, but it'll help keep your favorite grad's mouth feeling cleaner. Quip runs on a subscription basis, so brush head refills can be sent to your grad every three months.
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Credit: Winc
Winc
Best for the wine drinker
A college graduate has likely spent the last couple years drinking cheap, shitty alcohol. Give him a reason to indulge in some nice wine by giving him a gift card to Winc. The wine delivery service will have the grad take a palate quiz to figure out the types of wine he might like and then suggests selections based on the results. He's then able to purchase up to four bottles at a time.
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Personalized stationery
Best for the professional
After receiving gifts, the grad is going to have some thank-you notes to write. Equip him with some fancy, personalized stationery to do so. Or have him save it for any handwritten notes and letters he might send in the upcoming future. (Like maybe a note to a hiring manager following a job interview.) Either way, he'll feel grown up with his own letterhead stationery.
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MVMT watch
Best for adding style
A good-looking watch can make a person's style feel more cohesive and can add a level of sophistication when needed. If your grad is on the hunt for a job, a professional watch is a great gift to wear into interviews. MVMT watches are solid everyday and special occasion accessories.
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Credit: Basic Man
Basic Man subscription
Best for the essentials
Basic Man is a service that delivers underwear, socks, and a basic T-shirt every month. Gifting this subscription ensures that your fave grad won't be without clean undergarments, even if he waits a little too long in between laundry days.
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Smart plugs
Best for voice-controlled convenience
These plugs will give your grad's house or apartment smart home functionality. He can plug in everyday items and power them on and off through a mobile app or using Alexa or Google Assistant. He can also set timers for the plugs to turn on and off at specific times, which can actually help lower his electricity bill.
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A set of silk ties
Best for looking professional
Regardless of the graduate's career path, he can use a good go-to tie to wear to interviews, weddings, or any other special occasion. This set of ties is made of silk and comes in six solid colors, making it easy to pair with a range of shirt styles.
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Engraved bottle opener
Best for the beer enthusiast
Remind the grad how great he is every time he cracks open a cold one by engraving a special message onto this bottle opener keychain. Or leave him a funny message that makes him think of you. Or do whatever you want, it's your gift and it's customizable.
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Credit: Aeropress
Aeropress Coffee and Espresso Maker
Best for joe on the go
There’s no quicker and easier way to learn how to make a fantastic cup of coffee than the Aeropress—plus it’s extremely portable. Ready to pop in a backpack and take on the go, a quality cup of coffee is always within reach.
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Credit: Jade Yoga
Jade Yoga Harmony Mat
Best for personal care
For the spontaneous workout routine or meditation session, a quality yoga mat is a handy thing to have around. Jade mats are soft and super-grippy, plus you can buy a larger length if he’s on the tall side.
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Book Safe With Real Pages
Best for safe keeping
For hiding away treasured possessions and important documents, a book safe is a fun way to do so inconspicuously. For a more convincing look, opt for one with real pages you can thumb through and pick a cover that looks right at home on his shelf.
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Portable Blender
Best for grub on the go
For a guy on the go, a blender that can leave the house with him can be a huge timesaver. This portable blender only weighs one pound and it can do a much more thorough job blending protein shakes—goodbye chalky powder clumps! It will come in handy when he needs to whip up a quick smoothie or make an icy cocktail.
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Credit: Toby Amidor
A simple cookbook
Best for beginner cooks
It can be overwhelming to dive into the deep end of cooking for yourself each and every day. Fortunately, this cookbook is packed with 100 simple and mostly healthful recipes that are 0% intimidating and 100% delicious. The breakfast, lunch, dinner and snack ideas use mostly pantry staples so he can dig in whenever he needs some inspiration. It's perfect for imparting a love for cooking one small step at a time.
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Noise-canceling headphones
Best for WFH focus
Working from home is more common than ever these days, which is totally convenient — unless you live with a bunch of roommates who also WFH. Set him up for success in his first post-grad job by making sure he can focus on his work tasks (or drown out the sounds around him as he enjoys music or streaming content after work) with these premium noise-canceling headphones.
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Credit: Mixology & Craft
Bartender kit
Best for creative cocktails
Elevate his drinking status to post-collegiate levels with this refined bartender kit. The 10-piece set includes a shaker, muddler, ice tongs, strainer, liquid pourers and other cocktail tools to inspire his mixologist skills — and maybe move beyond pounding Bud Lights and straight shots of vodka. At the very least, it’ll all look really stylish in its handsome bamboo storage rack.
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Credit: Fitbit
Fitbit Inspire 3 Fitness Tracker
Best for staying fit
Now that he’s graduated and no longer needs to trek from the dorms to his classes on a regular basis, his daily step count may plummet. Inspire him to stay on track with his health and fitness goals with this minimalist tracker that keeps an eye on his steps, active minutes, calories burned, 24/7 heart rate, sleep quality and more than 20 exercise modes — including swimming, thanks to its water resistance up to 50 meters.
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Credit: Randy Pausch
“The Last Lecture”
Best for life inspiration
Professors often give a "last lecture" mulling over their legacy and the wisdom they'd like to impart on others before their own demise — but that became more reality than rumination when Carnegie Mellon professor Randy Pausch was diagnosed with terminal cancer. He subsequently gave a lecture on achieving childhood dreams, overcoming obstacles and seizing every moment, which ultimately became this international best-selling tome. It combines humor, inspiration and intelligence that'll inspire him to make the most of his time here on Earth.
Miller Kern is the Deputy Editor of Shopping and Reviews at Mashable, where she writes and edits reviews, roundups, deals, and news stories about tech products, including headphones, skincare devices, laptops, sex toys, e-readers, robot vacuums, and more. She's been covering all things shopping and tech, including shopping holidays like Prime Day and Black Friday, for Mashable since 2019. Miller can tell you which products are actually worth your money. She also explores trends in the shopping sphere, such as dupes and viral TikTok moments.
