Picking the right birthday presents for the ones you love can be as stressful as filing your taxes: it takes time and it has to be done right. In all seriousness, it’s not only that you have to make a smart selection of an original gift for your friends or someone you love; it’s that you should not repeat yourself by buying something you bought last year. Times change, trends come and go, people make different life decisions, so why shouldn’t we be smart and choose the right present for the birthday girls and boys?
This guide is here to offer solutions, and could turn out to be the one to contain the best birthday gift ideas today. We’ve done the research for you, so now all you have to do is let your love and generosity shine. Happy Birthday to them, and the best is yet to come.
Birthday Gifts for Him
1. Amazon Echo | The Sound of Music Matters
Who could have known that the time of voice-controlled machines would come so soon? Amazon Echo is the most original smart speaker in the market. It’s elegantly designed, it listens and answers, it hears you from across the room, and – most importantly – sounds good. We all have a friend who will appreciate the moment of morning coffee in their favorite room with the sounds of their favorite band. Instant happiness? That’s a great thing to give as a present, no matter how little time it might last.
Ideal for: music lovers, breakfast-in-bed lovers, your dad who’s in the Pink Floyd fan club, your boss.
Key features:
- Amazon Echo is a hands-free speaker you control with your voice.
- Echo connects to the Alexa Voice Service to play music, provide information, news, sports scores, weather, and more—instantly. All you have to do is ask.
- Echo has seven microphones and beam forming technology so it can hear you from across the room—even while music is playing.
2. Super Cool Turntable | A Flashback in their Living Room
Were vinyl records ever dead? Well, they did get into a rather long analogue hibernation when digital discs invaded our lives, but somehow managed to survive when digital media generally transformed from disc-shaped to sticks with chips. Now it’s time for a glorious comeback, because many of us over forty have kept our Beatles albums somewhere on a shelf and want to live a slow moment of musical enjoyment. This turntable is equally vintage and modern, with everything incorporated in a lightweight briefcase that wants to move anywhere an iPod has already been. An excellent idea for nostalgics of the hissing of a record waiting to be flipped over and produce that good old deep sound of a vinyl disc. If they feel a sudden urge to play something from their digital device on the speakers or listen on their headphones, there are enough outputs and inputs to do everything.
Ideal for: 40-year-olds that admire their parents’ record collection, a cousin that just completed their new office, your friend whom you’ve been to the most concerts with.
Key features:
- Dynamic full range stereo speakers
- Constructed of wood and bound in leatherette material, the briefcase-styled record player is lightweight and easily transported from place to place.
- Everything is self contained here, meaning you don’t need the absurd amount of equipment
3. Hot Dog Toaster | The Real Domestic Dog
Oh, the everyday vices… Hot dogs are yummy enough to sneak into our dreams, but we often consider them too fussy to prepare at home. That couldn’t be further from the truth with this pop-up hot dog toaster with addictive retro design by Nostalgia. Equipped with an easy-to-clean drip tray, it’s ready to remind you of the “good old days” in every possible way, making it an ideal humorous-yet-practical gift idea for a man who has postponed vegetarianism for a later age in life – or even for the afterlife.
Ideal for: your brother who loves fast food, a friend who’s getting married and wouldn’t like to see his life change in a fortnight, your next-door neighbor who often invites you over for movie nights, yourself.
Key features:
*Cooks two regular-size or extra-plump hot dogs at a time
*Drip tray for easy cleaning
*great for entertaining and as a fast meal solution for the whole family.
4. Best Trucker Hat | Come Rain or Shine
Many people avoid hats because they can’t stand the feeling of having their entire head covered. Others wear hats and caps all the time, no matter what the weather’s like or what season has arrived. Conveniently enough, this item is an excellent birthday present for both. Raving reviews by buyers have called it “perfect” and they say it’s worth the money. Bad reviews say nothing because they don’t exist – and there might be a good reason for it. This is one of the times when a birthday present becomes a real grower, when it’s constantly admired with time thanks to its usefulness and high quality. Sounds like a solution to us…
Ideal for: your father-in-law, your brother who has taken up gardening, the veteran over the barbecue grill in family gatherings.
Key features:
*Fits well and very comfortable.
*color: Forge Grey
5. Timex Unisex Weekender Fairfield 41mm Slip-Thru Strap Watch
This precious item by Timex isn’t only a reminder that time is money; it’s a discreet, stylish accessory to match the different dressing styles you’ll have to change during the week, from casual to elegant. The weather won’t be a problem either; you can swim into the sea or go skiing in winter, as this is a water resistant piece. It is also one of the gifts on the list that are addressed to men but might be worn by women, as well. No one will be disappointed with a unisex, all-weather, minimalistically designed watch, trust us on that.
Ideal for: an old schoolmate / fellow student from college or university, a frequent business traveler.
Key features:
*Water resistant to 30m
*minimalist dial design
*Indiglo night-light for easy readability in the dark.
Gifts for Her
1. Pillow Cover with Cat and Bird Design | Going for Cuteness
“Cuteness is bad for you”, said no one ever. The French beret on the bird’s head is just the tip of the iceberg for the birthday girl that will receive this birthday gift. Smartly designed, with a zipper that’s almost hard to spot, made of cotton and linen, this kitty pillow cover is a perfect touch for couches and beds. Printed only on one side, it’s destined to excite, making it a great choice. If you’re going for this memorable birthday present, don’t forget to buy the cushion, which is sold separately.
Ideal for: your sister, your best friend’s girlfriend/wife,
Key features:
*Attention: Insert not included
*has an invisible zipper
*Durable cotton linen fabric
2. Samsung Compact Wi-fi Digital Camera | Great Photographs Redefined
Most mobile phones and devices are now equipped with good cameras, thus making most of us believe that professional-looking photographs are either everywhere or going extinct. Samsung’s WB250F, a digital camera with 18x optical zoom and a sensor that can capture details in low light situations, is probably trying to prove said opinions wrong and to remind us that memorable moments with friends and family are worthy of crystal clear photos and videos. What is more, built-in Wi-Fi makes sharing easy at the touch of a button. For a camera that fits in a pocket so effortlessly, these are all reasons to carry it along to trips that want to remain unforgettable.
Ideal for: your girlfriend, your Europe-loving wife, your childhood friend who became a software engineer.
Key features:
*Capture Detailed Images in Low Light situations with a 14PM BSI CMOS Sensor
*18x Optical Zoom
*with built-in Wi-Fi to quickly share your best shots.
3. ‘I Am Very Busy’ Large Agenda | Raiders of the Lost Time
Ok, we are obviously getting the joke here: you might NOT be so busy if you’re stating it upfront on the cover. This stylish year-long agenda might contain the lost lyrics to Adele’s “Hello”, the doodles you’ve been making at company meetings or the only two ingredients of that recipe your mother insisted on dictating over the phone on Sunday, which you wouldn’t have imagined adding yourself. Then again, you might actually be really busy and would like everyone to remember – and consequently hurry up – at the moment when you lay this stylish notebook on the table. Some auto-sarcastic humor never did any working girl wrong.
Ideal for: the entrepreneurial, strictly non-digital-age girl in the gang, your friend who teaches or is learning Spanish, tablet deniers.
Key features:
*17 months of fun; matte laminated hardcover with gold wire-o binding
*Year, month and week, view
*Comes with color-coded month tabs, special holiday pages, and 2 sticker sheets.
4. Salt & Pepper Shakers | Why Should Life Be Tasteless?
Whether these are lyrics taken from Selena’s or Justin’s songs or simply tasteful play on words, a salt-and-pepper set of such class can easily become a hit on your Sunday table charts. Environmentally conscientious and smartly designed, these shakers can decorate a modern white kitchen island bench and your mom’s good old table equally well. Easy to clean and refill, these beechwood shakers must be a great gift for people of – and for – taste.
Ideal for: Mother’s Day or your mom’s birthday, a friend you haven’t seen for a long time, the mother of your godchild.
Key features:
*unique play on words for each
*Made of all natural beechwood from responsibly managed forests
*What sets these beautiful shakers apart is the modern, clean design and lightly laser etched sayings.
5. Pillow Case with Ryan Gosling | A Night of Stars
In various La la lands where teenagers or unrepented movie buffs of any age dwell, this is the wow gift of their special day. Canadian star Ryan Gosling is looking forward to you pressing your face against his, as long as he’s printed on this original and soft pillow case that promises sweet dreams. You might want to go for a white pillow, as the fabric is thin and rather see-through – in case you’d like to see right through Ryan.What’s interesting is that this item can be picked both as a serious present and as a gag, ideally when the line between the two can become vague…
Ideal for: your niece, your granddaughter that loved “Drive”, your grown-up friend that has confessed she’s in love with a movie star.
Key features:
*Nice hand feel due to top material with high quality.
*It fits a standard size bed pillow.
6. Sofia Cashmere Women’s Cashmere Fringed Scarf | The Undisputed Finalist
Humanity is not 100% sure about whom to thank for the invention of the scarf (it could be the Chinese, the Roman or any people, really), but it’s safe to say that it has always been really popular among women – and even men. Cashmere clothes are also famous for their top quality cashmere wool. Add these two pieces of information and you’ll find out why giving a cashmere scarf as a birthday present to a woman is too unlikely to fail. A texture to fall in love with and a color to seduce will make this selection an absolute winner when you’d like to spend an extra dime.
Ideal for: your girlfriend, your wife, generally someone special to you, your boss when you’re thinking of asking her for a promotion.
Key features:
*100% Cashmere
*Can be worn as shawl or around the neck
*very soft and warm
Birthday Gifts for a Couple
1. Bath Bomb Gift Set | Nice and Clean and Much Closer
Cooking aims for your taste, spectacles aim for your vision, music aims for your hearing, but we sometimes forget that even taking a warm bath is a real call to the senses. Throw your lover or the love of your life into the equation and the only thing missing will be the beneficial properties of the essential oils contained in these bath bombs. When it’s a friend’s birthday (or in the rare case of a couple having been born on the same day) and you know they have a bathtub for two, this birthday gift will be appreciated on various occasions, from those who call for immediate relaxation to the more intimate ones. We really won’t blame you for keeping the bath bombs for yourself either…
Ideal for: a good friend, a couple trying to conceive, a couple that wouldn’t try to conceive any time soon.
Key features:
*Six Essential Oil Blends To Treat Your Senses!
*100% Natural and Organic Ingredients
*Our bath bombs were created as a result of our 12 year old daughter who was diagnosed with a chronic auto immune disease. Our passion was to create a bath product that was ALL NATURAL, fizzy and fun for the whole family. BEWARE: These bath bombs are addictive!
2. Green & Black’s Chocolate Library | Delicious Style
Combining stylish with delicious is one of the targets of haute cuisine – and you know this beautiful birthday gift for a friendly couple will turn out to be more inexpensive than a dinner out to a fancy restaurant. An elegant case containing 7 tastes of chocolate will become a selection to be devoured – in style, always – by your friends or family. All ingredients are natural and the production is sensitive regarding sustainable farming and respect of local communities, so a sweet birthday gift acquires an added value through that.
Ideal for: your vegetarian friends, a sister-in-law you need to impress,
Key features:
*Ethically sourced cocoa through Cocoa Life, a global program that invests in sustainable cocoa farming
*No artificial flavors, no artificial preservatives, and no artificial colors
*Presented in a ready-to-gift library box set
3. Cat Scratcher | Swedish Couch Savior
Cats are fluffy and warm and highly photographable and admittedly adorable. All that until your cat loving friend finds out that their mother’s chairs and their favorite Swedish sofa has suffered from their claws. This modern cat scratcher is made from recycled material, is totally recyclable, and thanks to its design it’s easy to install and replace. As a birthday gift idea, it might lean slightly towards practicality, letting sensationalism aside for once, but its selection won’t only bring a smile upon your cat-loving friends: their cat, their mother, and their Swedish sofa designer will somehow be happier, too.
Ideal for: Cat lovers that won’t even go on holiday because of their lovely feline family members.
Key features:
*Includes adhesive stainless steel mounting hooks for trouble-free installation and replacement
*Modern, minimal and space saving solution to your cats’ scratching needs
*100% Recyclable and made from Recycled Cardboard
4. Cordless Electric Wine Bottle Opener
“Wine brings to light the hidden secrets of the soul”, said the Roman poet Horace. Considering the number of famous quotes that praise wine throughout the centuries and doctors’ opinions that a little red wine every day does you good, nothing should stop us from having some once in a while, not even a stubborn cork. This sleek electric wine bottle opener will go anywhere around the house or the garden, will open 30 bottles in a row – if necessary – and will stand on any elegantly set dinner table without ever ruining the decor. Doesn’t this sound like an amazing birthday present for friends? Ask those who always pass the bottle on to the person next to them to open it – they know.
Ideal for: Wine connoisseurs, those friends that love to cook and invite you over for dinners, your French buddies.
Key features:
*Opens up to 30 bottles on a single charge; simple push-button operation
*Sleek, sophisticated design; recharging base included
*Available in a Silver, Merlot or Champagne finish, the electric wine bottle opener makes a great gift idea for that wine lover on your list.
5. Elecstars LED Touch Bedside Lamp with Bluetooth Speaker | Shed Light on your Life Soundtrack
The reason why we don’t stay in bed longer is not that there’s not enough time to be there, but that we want to enjoy the perks of technology where modern devices are usually located, in the living room or our study. If we want to read or listen to music in bed, a good bedside lamp and an easy-to-use speaker will always come in handy. Therefore, in the case of a 2-in-1 object, you might find the perfect idea for a birthday gift for a friendly couple. This lamp comes in 6 different colors, it’s dimmable, and you can connect your smartphone or other mobile device via Bluetooth.
Ideal for: book worms, soundtrack lovers, couples who work on same shifts.
Key features:
*Dimmable
*You can easily connect to the speaker via Bluetooth or simply insert a TF card to play music or audio books.
*Perfect for anyone who needs a bedside lamp and loves to listen to music
Funny Birthday Gifts
1. The Farting Animals Coloring Book | Only Serious Stuff
There comes an era in human history when we shouldn’t feel embarrassed to publicly admit a simple truth: passing gas is a natural process of the human anatomy and also of that of animals. So, when humans (of all ages, mind you) are going through the relaxing procedure of coloring paintings of animals, there is no reason why they shouldn’t be depicted while passing wind. Farting meerkats, dogs, pandas, giraffes, hippos, horses, kittens and more are waiting for you to give them as a surreal birthday gift and spread laughter to birthday boys and girls, regardless of their social status. Note: Farts are not to be left unpainted. This is serious business.
Ideal for: teenagers in the family, a friend who’s into adult coloring, your son / your daughter if they want to learn about animals.
Key features:
*Do you really need a description to know this is amazing?!?
2. Funny Smartphone Stand | Stand by your Smartphone Screen
Sometimes one screen is not enough. This is what humanity has come down to and we have to face the facts. So, when you’re close to a flat surface and want to watch a video, the Istuck Smartphone Stand will keep your hands free without you having to stick your chewing gum on a bottle. After all, what have you asked for? A birthday gift that will allow you to watch yet another screen. Going for a third one? Oh, you ungrateful 21st century human!…
Ideal for: the self-employed, your site’s webmaster, your favorite nephew – if he owns a smartphone already.
Key features:
*Istuck will hold your personal communicator at just the right angle for viewing a video, without any sticky mess
*Works great with iPhones, iPads and all Android devices; really anything with a flat surface
3. Snittens – The Original Snot Mittens | Bless ya
Oh, please! Don’t ever pretend you wouldn’t find it convenient if you worked outdoors and it wasn’t utterly disgusting. In fact, if you don’t work indoors, you’ll find this hilarious birthday gift idea rather exhilarating: no more taking off your mittens to blow your nose. Whether you are going to actually use them or you want to make the birthday boy talk about it for years, this pair of mittens absorb huge amount of body fluids before you put them in the washing machine and have them empty and clean again.
Ideal for: runners, hikers, skiers, your dad’s birthday.
Key features:
*No more hacking or using your sleeves.
*Absorbs 28x its weight in snot and tears (we measured)
Birthday Gifts for Kids
1. 5,000 Awesome Facts (About Everything!) (National Geographic Kids) | Status Updated by a Book
Children are real sponges of knowledge and, apart from what is unsuitable for their age, there’s no limit to what they can learn. According to Redding.com, “5,000 Awesome Facts (About Everything!)” by National Geographic Kids is “a beautifully designed book is organized into two-page spreads that each focus on a different topic, making it easy and fun to read.” ReadKiddoRead blog states that “from 15 peanut butter facts that stick and 50 furry facts about bears to 100 facts about oceans to make your head swim, this big, colorful, packed-to-the-brim compendium is sure to fascinate, entertain, and be a source of great conversations to everyone who takes a look.” 224 pages filled with photographs are a real chance for a better relationship that kids can have with books.
Ideal for: 8-12 year-olds
2. Doinkit Darts | Magnetic Dart Board
To begin with, magnetic darts are a great improvement on pointy darts that missed the target and went through mom’s favorite tablecloth. Then, it’s that the 6 Doinkit® Darts contained in each set are equipped with Neodymium magnets, they are flexible, strong and virtually indestructible, so, for children who are into aiming, that is going to be an exciting birthday gift. You never know where the shooting champions of tomorrow will grow up.
Ideal for: kids of all ages, nostalgic parents.
Key features:
*16 Inch Magnetic Dart Board
*Safe, Flexible Magnetic Darts
3. Giant Inflatable Bowling Set | Alleys in the Garden
Bowling is great, but alleys are mainly for grown-up, bowling balls are heavy and dangerous for kids, and you really can’t set up an alley of your own. Not unless the ball has a 25″ diameter, the 6 pins (that stand steady on the ground thanks to a heavier material at the bottom) are 28″ high each, and they are all inflatable. This set is perfect for indoors and outdoors fun, you can’t lose any piece and you get a free pump for instant strikes.
Ideal for: kids in a big flat garden or yard
Key features:
*Fun and safe for the entire family!
*Durable PVC will last for years of play
*Includes a free pump
4. Colorful Flashing Finger Lighting Gloves | Saturday Night Snow Fever
You wouldn’t think there is a way to play piano in the dark and in the cold. You wouldn’t imagine that, while someone is throwing a snowball at you, you’d stare at the gloves instead of the ball. These gloves with flashing fingers are rather… flashy, but they surely don’t mean to hide it. They operate on a replaceable battery and, considering the price, every child playing in the snow would appreciate the joke greatly.
Ideal for: kids playing in the snow, piano players that like concerts in the dark.
Key features:
*Battery included and Replaceable
*Soft black and white fabric with white light up fingers
*Can be used at dance halls, bars, stage performances and other large entertainment venues, can also be used to play the piano at night.
5. Child Walkie-Talkie
Bellsouth’s walkie-talkie for kids set includes 2 walkie-talkie units – communication devices which operate on mobile radio frequencies. They come with 22 channels as well as a back-lit LCD screen, enabling you to communicate over several kilometers free-of-charge (up to 3 km in open areas). Available in 4 colors, these radio receivers/transmitters are great birthday presents for children, as well as a safe introduction to privacy and suspense, two meanings to be explored extensively when they become adults.
Ideal for: friends of your children living in the neighborhood, your own kids, nephews and nieces.
Key features:
*Would be fun for kids who live near each other.
*The flashlight is an amazing feature and even works when the radio is off.
*perfect size for young kids.
6. Karaoke Nursery Rhymes album
When it comes to singing, nothing can be better than an old classic. Of course, the oldest classics ever aren’t pieces of classical music; it’s nursery rhymes. Downloading a 50-track album to your mobile device and using it to sing with your kid is a perfect introduction to music and a really good birthday gift for pre-schoolers. Singing Bell’s website has all the lyrics you will need, so go ahead and gift the gift of karaoke.
Ideal for: kids that are 2-6 years old.
