Best Mother's Day gifts: Show mom some love
You can't put a price on everything she's done for you, but heartfelt gifts certainly help.
By
Leah Stodart
on
Leah Stodart
Senior Shopping Reporter
Leah Stodart is a Philadelphia-based Senior Shopping Reporter at Mashable where she covers and tests essential home tech like vacuums and TVs, plus eco-friendly hacks. Her ever-evolving experience in these categories comes in clutch when making recommendations on how to spend your money during shopping holidays like Black Friday, which Leah has been covering for Mashable since 2017.
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Mother figures are the backbone of the world. Yours may be your biological mother, or maybe she's your mother-in-law, your best friend's mom, or simply someone whose motherly instinct has helped you through hard times.
Moms teach you the adulting necessities, give advice even if the problem is your fault, and above all, they put up with your shit and (almost) never complain.
The game plan here isn't just to snag the last bouquet at CVS just so you're not the kid who forgot Mother's Day (but definitely also get flowers). And you don't even need to spend a lot of money. (Peep our list of Mother's Day gifts that cost less than $50. Want even more cheap gift ideas?
SEE ALSO:
The best gifts for her
Skip the generic mugs and show your appreciation with a gift picked just for her: Whether it's something to make a part of her life easier, something she's mentioned wanting in passing, or simply something to make her feel like a damn queen, you can't put a price on everything she's done for you, but heartfelt gifts certainly help.
After all, they say "No matter how hard you try, you always end up like your mother." But is that even a bad thing?
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Credit: APPLE
The newest iPad Pro
Best For Tech-savvy Moms
Whether your mom likes to read, play games, or watch Chopped, she can do it all with an iPad. She’ll be psyched to have the newest 11-inch iPad Pro with Apple's fastest chip yet at her side, especially if her projects involve drawing or designing (so grab the Apple Pencil while you're at it.) It weighs one pound and lasts for 10 hours on a single charge.
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A tote bag with a shoe compartment
Best For Moms On The Go
Traveling for work or heading to the gym straight from the office likely has her lugging around an extra pair of shoes every day. This ultra-stylish, water-resistant tote bag has plenty of room for multiple changes of clothes and a separate shoe compartment in the bottom.
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Credit: UNCOMMON GOODS
Wine soap
Best For Rustic Moms
This is not your mother's Bath and Body Works stash. These vegan soaps are handmade with whiffs of citrus, berries, plums, and apples to mimic the red and white wines that inspired them, and we've heard they make your hands soft too. If nothing else, she'll get tons of compliments on her bathroom decor.
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Credit: UNCOMMON GOODS
Long-distance touch lamps
Best For The Mom With an Empty Nest
Moms miss you when you're gone for a few seconds, let alone weeks or months. If she hates texting, send her an "I miss you" with the light of these touch lamps. Just set them up via WiFi, give one a tap, and the other will glow the same radiant color. To add more loved ones to the group, just grab another lamp and assign everyone a color.
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Credit: Comfify
A utensil and tablet holder
Best For Pinterest Recipe Moms
There are moms who are quick to order out, and there are moms who insist on trying a new recipe every night. This utensil holder keeps her wooden spoons and spatulas in arm's reach, and props her tablet for a clear view of Pinterest or "Abbott Elementary." If she's not a tablet gal, a decorative recipe book would look great, too.
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The Fitbit Inspire HR
Best For Moms Getting Fit
The sleek Fitbit Inspire HR has been called out by many as the model to choose over the Alta HR or Charge 3. This chic band can help her reach her goals by tracking her all-day activity, cardio score, and sleep cycle. Plus, it runs for five days on a single charge.
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A color scanner
Best For Scrapbooking Moms
Organizing and preserving old photo albums is a huge undertaking. If she's finally decided to tackle the mountains of memories, give her a hand with a color scanner. The Epson Perfection V39 is the world's simplest scanner and connects via USB to transfer photos directly from her computer or email. Images are scanned straight to the cloud in 4,800 dpi resolution, giving her peace of mind even if the physical photo gets ruined.
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Credit: MILTON BRADLEY
Mystery Date Nostalgia Edition
Best For Nostalgic Moms
Help '70s moms throw it back to the good old days (you know, before children) with Mystery Date: The Nostalgia Edition. It was the board game to have back then and is now making a comeback in this rad retro tin. The game is so in-demand over 50 years later, it's sold out nearly everywhere — meaning you had better get your hands on it before you're forced to buy a used one at a yard sale.
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An Instant Pot
Best For Foodie Moms
She probably already has a slow cooker, but she deserves an Instant Pot. One of the lineup's best-sellers, the Instant Pot 9-in-1 Duo Plus, pressure cooks, slow cooks, steams, sterilizes, warms, cooks eggs, cooks rice, makes yogurt, and makes cake. It's the most tricked-out model she can get without too much of a learning curve, and is great for basic recipes and fancy Pinterest recipes alike.
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Credit: UNCOMMON GOODS
A custom sand bracelet
Best For Moms Who Love The Beach
For the days that she'd give anything to have her toes in the water and a book in her hand, this one-of-a-kind beach-themed bracelet can remind her of her happy place. The sand in the charm can be customized to her favorite beach, too. Choose from over 1,000 sand banks, or send in your own sand. If she's more into cuffs than beads, the designer makes those as well.
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A robot vacuum
Best For Tidy Moms
She cleaned up after you for at least the first decade of your life — it's time for someone to clean for her. The Roomba 690 is relatively affordable and can be controlled via smartphone, Alexa, or the traditional buttons. She can schedule cleanings or simply let it roam free and find the concentrated areas of dirt, pet hair, and other debris.
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The Kindle Paperwhite
Best For Moms With A Reading List
Almost every mom has a book list (whether she's gotten around to any on it is another story). Force her to carve out some me-time with a Kindle Paperwhite. The new model is waterproof, lasts weeks on one charge, and features a 300 ppi glare-free display even in sunlight. For extra brownie points, get her a Kindle Unlimited subscription.
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Credit: WINE ENTHUSIAST
An automatic wine opener
Best For Moms Who Love Wine
Even the most experienced wine connoisseurs get stuck on a stubborn cork sometimes. An electric wine opener ensures that she won't have to wait another second. This well-reviewed model from Wine Enthusiast just requires the press of a button and can open 30 bottles on a single charge.
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SpaFinder gift card
Best For Moms Who Need To Chill
There is no mom on the planet who doesn't deserve some major pampering on the regular. Help her treat herself with a SpaFinder gift card: You choose the amount and then she can use it at a nearby participating location.
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A wine subscription
Best For Moms Who *Really* Love Wine
Sometimes, dreaming of that post-work glass is the only thing getting her through the day. It'd be even better without a pitstop at the liquor store, though. Winc Wine Club is a super customizable wine subscription with vino for those with casual palates all the way to connoisseurs with refined tastes. Each month, she’ll come home to a box with her desired number of bottles, starting at just $13 each.
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An air fryer
Best For Moms Who Love Junk Food
Life is too short to stress over a diet. An air fryer will let her make her favorite foods without the guilt. Using almost no oil, she can make anything from salmon, to pizza, to two pounds of french fries. (Um, yes please.) This 4-quart model from Ninja can also roast, dehydrate, and reheat.
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Credit: NIXPLAY
A digital picture frame
Best For Nostalgic Moms
Documenting anything and everything that happens is just a requirement of being a parent. Once your mom is tired of finding space for picture frames, this 10-inch digital one by Nixplay will swipe through 10 GB worth of her photos, giving each one its time to shine. It's Alexa and app enabled, and can even access photos and videos from social media.
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Credit: S'WELL
A patterned water bottle
Best For Hydrated Moms
Help her cut down on singe-use plastic and declutter the floor of her car with a reusable water bottle from S'well. This BPA-free stainless steel works to keep cold drinks cold or hot drinks hot for at least 12 hours, and does so while preventing condensation. Choose from 20 of S'well's stylish patterns including marble, metallics, and florals.
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The Furbo Pet Camera
Best For Dog Moms
Whether she's strictly a dog mom or just babies her dog more than her human kids, the Furbo Pet Camera is a must-have for anyone who keeps a picture of their dog in their wallet. The two-way camera and app-enabled treat dispenser allow her to watch, talk to, and throw treats to her dog (or cat) when she's not home.
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An online course
Best For Moms Who Love Learning
It could be painting, coding, or writing a book — there's bound to be some sort of hobby or skill that she always talks about wanting to learn, but never has time. Udemy offers over 3,000 affordable online courses in business, IT, design, and more. There's something for every interest and experience level, and she can do it all on her own time.
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A Nespresso coffee maker
Best For Moms Who Need A Boost
A constant IV of coffee may not be possible (yet), but moms can get the next best thing with their own personal espresso maker. The Nespresso VertuoPlus by De'Longhi offers barista-grade espresso, coffee, or iced coffee, all for cheaper and faster than Starbucks. It even comes with 12 flavor capsules.
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Credit: FOOD CYCLE SCIENCE
An indoor mini composter
Best For Eco-friendly Moms
Help her save the environment and have less trash to take out with the Food Cycler. This indoor mini composter is sleek enough to blend in with other appliances and can sit right on the counter. Fill it with scraps like egg shells, vegetable peels, tea bags, and even coffee grounds, and it will quietly reduce up to 90% of waste in as little as three hours.
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A personalized cutting board
Best For Moms Who Appreciate Details
Personalized gifts are always a win, and they go way beyond jewelry. This laser-engraved bamboo cutting board sees 96% five-star reviews on Amazon and 29 different fonts and designs to choose from. Because it's custom with the name or phrase you entered, be sure to order early to give the artist time to perfect it.
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A Fire TV Stick
Best For Cord-cutting Moms
Cord cutters don't have to resort to broadcast channels and reruns of Castle. The Amazon Fire TV Stick basically turns any TV into a smart TV and keeps apps like Netflix, Hulu, and Prime Video all in once place. She'll have the hang of it in seconds, even if she's one of those not-so-tech-savvy moms.
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A Le Creuset dutch oven
Best For Fancy Moms
Le Creuset cookware is gorgeous, strong, and will take care of your food for years. It's basically the cookware version of a mom. It's one of those things that she's been drooling over but would never splurge on for herself — so you can splurge for her. This 2.75-quart round Dutch oven locks in moisture, prevents sticking, and makes meals up to 3 servings.
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A professional facial steamer
Best For Moms Who Deserve Pampering
A weekly facial at the spa probably isn't realistic, but that doesn't mean the only alternative is a sheet mask. At-home facial steamers are seriously life changing, and this one by Dr. Dennis Gross is one of the best. It uses micro-steam technology to hydrate skin, unclog pores, and balance texture for an immediate glow — and it all happens in under 10 minutes.
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An ornament organizer
Best For Moms Who Love Decorating
Holidays are an excuse for moms to completely redecorate the house without anyone saying a word, but what's not so fun is that messy basement storage. It's time for her to trade those deteriorating cardboard boxes in for a padded ornament organizer. These containers have 64 protective compartments and are stackable — so buy a few and she can go HAM.
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A window-mounted birdhouse
Best For Birding Moms
Ah, nature's decor. Bird watching is a quick mood boost for any dreary day — and if she has a cat, it's basically like getting a gift for both of them. This adorable bird-shaped birdhouse uses suction cups to stick right to the window for easy viewing and refilling. It comes fully assembled, is easy to install, and customers in the reviews say it's "squirrel-proof."
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A vintage-style turntable
Best For Moms Who Kept Their Vinyls
Parents love turning on the radio just to bitch about today's music. Let her put those records in the attic to good use with this portable Bluetooth record player. She can blast Fleetwood Mac and Aretha Franklin to her heart's content, then switch to Bluetooth for newer jams that she likes (but will never admit). Two needles are included and it comes in 20 colors.
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An indoor countertop garden
Best For Earthy Moms
Going organic is the hot move, but shopping at Whole Foods adds up. Click and Grow smart gardens can give her a personal urban garden right in her kitchen. Replaceable pods are only $10 a pop, with strawberries, tomatoes, and arugula all on the menu.
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The Amazon Echo Show
Best For Moms Who Check In Often
The mother of all Echo devices makes a thoughtful gift for moms who have embraced the whole voice commands thing — and for moms who need to be shown the ropes. A drop-in feature lets her make video calls without the other person having to pick up, which is just a great parenting tool in general. She can also watch live TV, call up recipe and DIY videos, and use voice commands with smart plugs or lights.
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Amazon Audible
Best For Multitasking Moms
Some people are soothed by music, and some people are soothed by Michelle Obama talking about life. Amazon Audible can keep your mom busy on every drive, commute, or run — especially clutch if she doesn't have time to sit down and read. Each month, she'll get a credit to add one book to her library, and everything is kept forever. Listening devices include iOS, Android, Kindle, and Echo devices.
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KitchenAid Stand Mixer
Best For Foodie Moms
Having a stand mixer opens up a thousand new possibilities when it comes to getting creative in the kitchen. This 5-quart model can handle large batches and comes with attachments for making bread, pasta, and whipped cream.
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LED-Lit Jewelry Cabinet
Best For Fancy Moms
Help her keep her ever-expanding jewelry collection organized with this chic cabinet that doubles as a full-length mirror and lights up when you open it. The cabinet is lined with velvet and has dedicated compartments for storing earrings, rings, necklaces, perfumes, and nail polish.
Leah Stodart is a Philadelphia-based Senior Shopping Reporter at Mashable where she covers and tests essential home tech like vacuums and TVs, plus eco-friendly hacks. Her ever-evolving experience in these categories comes in clutch when making recommendations on how to spend your money during shopping holidays like Black Friday, which Leah has been covering for Mashable since 2017.
