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It’s been a tough few years. Your student may actually have been yearning to go to school, after COVID quarantines forced them to spend months out of the classroom. But now, the big day has arrived: It’s commencement time, and your graduate deserves something special.
Here’s a collection of gift ideas for any former student in the digital age, all sure to delight. From speakers and headphones that will help them concentrate and relax to computers and tablets that will come in handy as they start new jobs or head to college in the fall, we’ve got you covered.
The Listening Grad
Best Alexa For Everyday Use
The Amazon Echo Studio ($199) takes the prize for top-notch sound in the line of Alexa-powered smart speakers, but it’s the 4th generation of the basic Echo—now in nearly spherical form—that hits the sweet spot. The size, shape, price, smart-home capabilities, and premium sound are all just right to make a new graduate happy.
MSRP $99.99
Best For Powerful Outdoor Sound
Ready for a summer graduation party at the pool? Your grad will be if you invest in the powerful JBL Boombox 3, the company’s super-powered Bluetooth speaker. It’s loud with bright sound and booming bass thanks to an upgraded subwoofer. It’s water and dust proof, so safe for the beach. Grads won’t carry it far since it’s 14.7 pounds, but wherever they take it will sound great.
MSRP $499.95
Best Noise Cancelation Under $100
Anker Soundcore Space A40
If your grad wants a good alternative to Apple’s AirPods, get them the Soundcore Space A40 from Anker. These active noise-cancelling, true wireless earphones may not be flashy, but they deliver better sound performance than some earbuds that cost twice as much.
MSRP $99.99
The Streaming Grad
Best for Streaming Adventure and Nostalgia
It’s almost unimaginable that a graduate of any age doesn’t like something from the House of Mouse, be it Disney characters, Pixar pictures, Marvel movies, Star Wars aliens, or a slew of other originals and classics. Get your grad a full year of this major streaming service for hours of fun. See what’s coming here.
Best for Future Enlightenment via Streaming
Some grads never want to stop learning. And a great way to continue is with MasterClass. Watching its streaming lectures by top luminaries in their fields will make your graduating superstar shine even brighter.
Best Accent Illumination for TVs
A TV with a light behind it looks great—and the backlight improves viewing. Your TV-addicted grad will appreciate you all the more for getting them Light Strip Pro from Wyze, which can display 16 million colors across its LEDs and is easy to control via the app. The flexible, affordable strip can be affixed to the back of the screen (or anywhere you want, as long as you can reach an outlet).
MSRP $33.99
For The Ultimate Music Fix
Spotify brought the modern subscription streaming model to the US, and competitors have either copied it or flown the coop. The service’s features change to keep up with what people want, but one thing that never does is the deep song library that puts Spotify at the top of the streaming-music list.
Per Month, Starts at $9.99
The Computing Grad
Best Small Laptop for College
Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2
For the grad who needs a lightweight computer, the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 is an excellent option. It’s a worthy upgrade from past iterations, with Intel’s 11th gen chip and a 3:2 aspect ratio screen.
Starts at $599.99
The Best Affordable macOS Laptop
Apple MacBook Air (M1, Late 2020)
The 2020 MacBook Air still has plenty of life, thanks to power from the M1 chip inside. It’s great for a grad, because it’s the most affordable Mac you can buy that’s still worth every penny.
Base Configuration Price $999.00
Best Chrome-Based Laptop
Does your grad want a very portable, web-centric laptop? The Acer Chromebook Spin 714 is our Editors’ Choice in Chromebooks. This version has a 16:10 display, a stylus for the touchscreen, a full 1080p webcam, and an all-metal chassis that can take some abuse. It runs ChromeOS on a 12th-gen Intel Core i5. The price sometimes even dips below $500, so watch for sales.
MSRP $729.00
Best for Computing When Money Is No Object
Apple’s 24-inch all-in-one iMac(Opens in a new window) is a gorgeous machine with an 8-core CPU and a decent amount of memory even at the base price. Spec it out to the max for your favorite grad to see its full potential, and the price climbs up to $2,658. Your loved one deserves it.
Base Configuration Price $1,299.00
Best Premium All-in-One Windows Desktop
HP Envy 34 All-in-One (2022)
No grad would turn down a 34-inch 5K display, so they’re not going to turn up their nose at a display with the PC built right in. The HP Envy 34 All-in-One desktop houses great specs from Intel Core i5 on up, easy access to the RAM (128GB max) and M.2 SSD slots (2TB max) for upgrades, and the laptop version of the GeForce RTX 3060 GPU for graphics.
Starts at $1,999.99
The Fit Grad
Most Affordable Apple Wearable
A healthy grad can forgo some of the advanced medical options of the full Apple Watch, such as a constantly-running ECG or pulse ox. But if they still covet an Apple timepiece, the SE version has plenty of features in a less expensive model, including fall and crash detection.
MSRP $249.00
Best For Grads Looking to Get or Stay Fit
Is your grad the athletic type—or maybe just aspires to move more? The Fitbit Charge 5 is a significant upgrade from the Charge 4, which added GPS, Spotify support, more sleep tools, and Fitbit Pay; the newest model has an AMOLED color touch screen and metal case, making it Fitbit’s best fitness tracker yet.
MSRP $149.95
Best for Monitoring a Fitness Journey
It may not be the smartest of the smart scales on the market, but the attractive Wyze Scale offers unbeatable value, along with the ability to measure and track 12 metrics, Wyze Band integration, and a safe mode for pregnant women and people who wear pacemakers.
MSRP $19.99
Best for Mindfulness
Headspace is an app that prides itself on making meditation an option for everyone. But it does come with a (literal) cost. Offset that for the grad you know who wants to make the time for mindfulness with a gift that lasts a year ($69.99) or even just a month ($12.99). Check out other meditation apps that can help fight anxiety.
The Mobile Grad
Best iPad for Creators and Advanced Students
The 2022 Apple iPad Air delivers strong performance at a palatable price, making it the best tablet for most people—especially a grad who’s new to the working world or college-bound. They’ll be able to put it to the test in meetings, in classes, and for serious creativity.
MSRP $599.99
Best iPhone for Almost Everyone
The baseline Apple iPhone 14 is one of the best phones available right now. It’s neither too small nor too big, but the price that might shock you until you realize this powerhouse can do just about anything. When it comes to battery life, camera, and performance, the iPhone 14 has it all.
MSRP $799.00
Best for Power-Hungry Grads
Your grad may soon be walking around a busy campus or commuting in a city, and they’ll need some power on the go. A power bank makes a great gift, giving their phone, tablet, or computer some extra juice. The Anker 321 is an ultra-portable charger with a battery that holds enough power for one big recharge per day.
MSRP $29.99
Best for Ride-Sharing With the Bros
Does your grad like to stay out at night but lack the funds to ensure a ride home? Get them a card full of bucks dedicated to Uber, so there’s no argument about who’s the designated driver.
Best for Ride-Sharing Safely
If you prefer the corporate entity providing your grads’ ride shares to be a little less bro-ish than Uber, get them the gift of Lyft.
Best for Finding Lost Stuff
Does your graduate lose things constantly? Gift them with tracking tags—Apple AirTags, for those who prefer the Apple ecosystem. Easy to track, hard to use for stalking, and complete with a slew of accessories, AirTags might make your grad’s move into the real world a lot easier. Android users should check out the Tile Pro.
MSRP $99.00
The Gaming Grad
Best for Games in the Palms of Their Hands
Is your grad a gamer? The Nintendo Switch is a home console that can also double as a mobile gaming system, but we recommend the less expensive and slimmer Switch Lite for a new grad. This dedicated handheld device is ultra-portable and gets better battery life than the original model. The Switch has enough games to make this gift last a long time, but here are our favorites.
MSRP $199.99
Best for Switch-ing on the Road
Tomtoc Nintendo Switch Travel Case
The Tomtoc Nintendo Switch Travel Case will be a perfect fit for your grad’s Switch. A lot of thought has been put into the design, including a stand that stores the charge port underneath so they can charge the Switch while playing it in tabletop form. The case also has space for plenty of accessories and 20 game cards.
Best Gaming Mouse Overall
Maybe your grad loves esports; here’s a great gift option. Take everything that was in the Haste 1 mouse and improve it—that’s what you get with the HyperX Pulsefire Haste 2. It’s also lighter than the original and very reasonably priced. It comes in black or white, as well as wireless or wired.
MSRP $59.99
Best Affordable Gaming Chair
How often does someone get a chair that changes their life? It can happen at graduation, and it should be an action-packed gaming chair such as the affordable Razer Enki X. It’s soft, sturdy, and comfy, all the things they’ll need for marathon sessions at their new jobs, writing papers for college classes, or just relaxing after a long day of being young.
MSRP $299.99
Best Low Latency Cloud Gaming Experience
It’s unlikely that your grad hasn’t already settled on a gaming system and service to usurp all their free time. But if they haven’t, we suggest you set them up with Amazon Luna, a game streaming service with low latency and a decent selection of games, many of them free. It works well with web browsers and even better when paired with the $49.99 Luna Controller gamepad.
MSRP $5.99
The Influencer Grad
Best for Outstandingly Smooth Video
A gimbal is a must for a fast-moving influencer, and the Insta360 Flow is our favorite. Ultra-portable, it collapses down to almost nothing, then unfolds into a gyroscopic extendable selfie stick to get a quick start on making a new video. The footage they’ll get will impress everyone short of a steady-cam operator. The built-in tripod puts it to work when they sit still, too.
MSRP $159.00
Best Bridge Camera for Shutterbugs
A creative grad needs something to create with, so why not a brand new digital camera? The Canon PowerShot SX70 HS captures views ranging from ultra-wide to extreme telephoto. It’s a solid camera for wildlife observers, families, and shutterbugs in search of a lightweight bridge model.
MSRP $549.99
Best for Illuminating an Influencer Face
Whether they’re a budding game streamer or just want to look their best in Zoom meetings, your grad will want a fill light. The Razer Key Light Chroma(Opens in a new window) is expensive but so worth the price, for total control over the brightness and color temperature of the lighting. They features the Chroma system, which gives the lights access to 16 million colors, so they’re also great for a party.
The Homebody Grad
Best Robot for the First Apartment
Among the most affordable robot vacuums, the Eufy RoboVac G30 offers powerful cleaning and the ability to get into the tiniest spaces–a must in a new, small dwelling.
MSRP $349.99
Best for Keeping It Warm
No one’s morning cup of joe should ever go cold in this day and age. Get your grad the Ember Smart Mug (in a 10-ounce or 14-ounce size), and they’ll control the temperature.
Best Affordable Indoor Smart Plug
If your grad will be spending lots of time in a dorm or an apartment, either studying or working from home, they’ll want to personalize their space. They can’t install loads of smart home tech, but one small thing that can make a difference is a smart plug. Wyze makes them for $15 a pop, providing an easy way to take control of the electronics in a grad’s new home.
MSRP $14.99
Best for Eating In
Eating out in restaurants is back, but encourage your grad to stay in and study or rest with a Grubhub gift code, purchased and delivered from Amazon. Maybe they’ll even invite you over for a bite.
Best for Getting Groceries
When you want your grad to be able to fill the fridge in a time-saving way, give the gift of Instacart. Since they’re always on their phone with the other Insta(gram), they’ll have the perfect opportunity to buy some staples.
Best for Grads Who Like to Cook
Afraid your grad will starve out in the real world? Splurge on a smart oven, and it may help them get some much-needed nutrients. The best is the Anova Precision Oven, which lets them bake, roast, slow cook, steam, and even sous vide foods to perfection.
MSRP $599.00
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