16 Mother's Day Gift Ideas for the Mom You've Been Missing
This Mother's Day is a bit more hopeful than last year's. Even if you and your parents can't get the vaccine in time for the holiday, the odds are that you will be able to get it— if you want it!—quite soon. All it will take is a few more weeks, or months, of staying strong and social distancing before a Roaring ’20s–style summer may be upon us.
We may not be able to bring your family together, but we can offer some suggestions that will let the parents in your life know that you appreciate them. Here are our favorite gift ideas to help them work from home, keep their coffee warm, or go out running with their kids.
For more ideas, check out our guides to the best gift ideas for new parents, best kid podcasts, or the best kid tablets.
Updated May 3: We removed a few items and added a Tom Bihn tote bag, a weighted blanket, a Yeti cup, and some work pants to the guide.
Special offer for Gear readers: Get a 1-Year Subscription to WIRED for $5 ($25 off). This includes unlimited access to WIRED.com and our print magazine (if you'd like). Subscriptions help fund the work we do every day.
If you buy something using links in our stories, we may earn a commission. This helps support our journalism. Learn more. Please also consider subscribing to WIRED
Photograph: TevaColorful Sport Sandals
Teva Hurricane XLT2 SandalsMother's Day is in May, when all of us are itching to throw on shorts and run out the door in the sun, so I have never understood why people give their mothers slippers. Instead, try a pair of funky, colorful sandals that she can slip on to take out the trash or wear on an all-day hike (with you!). Teva upgraded its iconic ugly-cool shoes with recycled, quick-drying webbing and a more durable rubber outsole. If these look like a little much, we also love a more minimal option.
Photograph: époque évolutionBack-to-Work Pants
Epoque Evolution Jet Set TrouserWhile we're on the subject of heading back to the real world, the mom in your life might be wondering what she's supposed to wear after a year of nothing but tie-dye sweatsuits. I recently received a test version of Époque Evolution's newest trousers. The company's founders formerly designed for women's sportswear company Athleta before transitioning into high-end workwear. The Jet Set Trouser is everything I looked for in a work pant.
They're pull-on, stretchy, and feel just like yoga pants yet remain polished and shockingly flattering when they're on. They're made from a proprietary fabric called Evolve, which is wicking, machine-washable, wrinkle-resistant, UPF 50, and made in a solar-powered facility. Unfortunately, Époque Evolution isn't super size-inclusive right now; its sizing only goes up to 16. But they do come in a petite version, and there's also a bar-tack (double-stitched) hem to easily adjust the hem length.
Photograph: TeklaA Cozy Morning Robe
Tekla Organic Cotton Classic BathrobeThis relatively young brand—the company was founded in Copenhagen in 2017—makes high-quality sleepwear, blankets, and sheets. All of Tekla's pajamas and robes are made from the company's organic cotton fabrics, which are durable and thick but have a delicate texture that's quite pleasant.
This particular terry cotton robe (shown in the blue and white "Marseille" stripe) is thicker than most, making it extra comfy on cold mornings. It's the perfect thing to get for the mom in your life who enjoys reading WIRED magazine over a cup of hot coffee as the rays of the rising sun warm the dining room.
Photograph: Amy Fronczkiewicz/BearabyA Soothing Nap
Bearaby Tree NapperIn addition to a comfy robe, does your mom need the deep, soothing pressure of a hug from someone who won't ask her to pick up more raspberries from the store? Then she probably needs a weighted blanket. The Bearaby Tree Napper is made from silky, plant-based Tencel fiber that's also washable. I also love the large, chunky weave and variety of colors. For more options, check out our roundup of the Best Weighted Blankets.
Photograph: 1MoreA Beautiful Pair of Headphones
1More ColorBudsIf your mom doesn't already have a pair of Bluetooth headphones, these are the best ones to gift her (although we have 11 other pairs of our favorite wireless earbuds here). 1More is a lesser-known brand, but its products hit a sweet spot of reliability, great sound, good looks, and affordability. They're sweat-resistant and have a silicone ring to hold them in place while you're exercising, but they're comfortable enough to wear for hours at a time. And as befits the name ColorBuds, these come in a variety of dazzling candy shades that stand out from the pack of ho-hum basic black buds.
Photograph: AppleA Wearable With Fall Detection
Apple Watch Series 6If your parent lives alone and you haven't been able to visit because of pandemic restrictions, a wearable with health features and fall detection may ease both your minds. The Series 6 is Apple's latest watch, and the upgrades are worth it if your mom doesn't already own an earlier model. The Series 6 charges faster than ever; I can top mine off in less than an hour after breakfast. And if your mom hasn't yet gotten a Covid-19 vaccine, it may make both of you feel a little better to have Apple's latest health features, like a blood-oxygen measurement tool.
Check out our guide to the Best Fitness Trackers for more wearables with health features and fall detection and our Apple Watch Guide to learn about the other models.
Photograph: HerbivoreA Beautiful Face Tool
Herbivore Rose Quartz Gua ShaSince the pandemic curtailed visits to salons, searches for in-home beauty tools have jumped. Some of the more popular are searches are for gua sha tools. I first experienced gua sha when visiting my acupuncturist in the Before Times. It feels like a vigorous face massage, and anything that increases blood flow to the face can help reduce tension and puffiness.
You could just use spoons or your hands to apply pressure to your skin for this technique, but why do that when you could use cool cut-and-polished quartz rocks that come in lovely organic shapes? I own this tool. It's beautiful, effective, and not as intimidating as an electric face massager or microneedler. Just make sure your mom doesn't use it without face oil.
Photograph: Tom BihnA Handy Carry-All
Tom Bihn The TruckThere are a lot of things that I love about Tom Bihn bags. They're made in the United States, have a lifetime guarantee and impeccable build quality, and are designed with the user in mind—for example, the water bottle pockets in its backpacks are placed in center of the back, instead of the side, so they don't throw you off balance.
Its Truck tote stands up with a supportive bottom—no more flapping around unstructured totes while trying to pack groceries. The structured pockets protect easily crushed items like loaves of bread, and the handles are long enough to sling over your shoulder. No more half-gallons of milk splooshing open at the bottom of my groceries! Yay!
Photograph: ChatbooksMonthly Photo Books
Chatbooks Instagram SeriesNow that we all carry a camera with us everywhere, no one knows what to do with the thousands of photos we've taken of our kids. You could obsessively organize them in Google Photos or share them in private groups. Or you could quickly and easily put them in a picture book and automatically send them to parents and grandparents.
Chatbooks connects to your camera roll, Instagram, or Facebook account. When you get up to 60 pictures, the ongoing photo series will let you know that a book is ready. You can edit your book before it gets printed and sent out. I've used several photo-book printing services, and Chatbooks is the fastest and easiest. I don't have to crop pictures, choose between fonts, or fuss over placement. This is the gift that I gave my own mom for Mother's Day.
Photograph: AmazonA Mechanical Keyboard
Aukey KM-G3 KeyboardIf the mom in your life recently (and suddenly) switched to working exclusively from home, she might not have thought about making the switch to a mechanical keyboard. Instead of a membrane over a circuit board, a mechanical keyboard uses switches under the keys. The keys spring back and produce a cheerful clickity-clacking sound. They're also way more durable.
Because the keyboards are popular with gamers, they have fun upgrades like customizable lighting effects, which perk up any home office. We recommend this entry-level Aukey, but we have more expensive keyboard options here. We also have a guide to all the gear she might want to work from home like a pro.
Photograph: AmazonA Light-Up Ebook Reader
Amazon Kindle (2019)In a very informal poll of moms, I found that almost all of us own a Kindle. (These are our favorite models.) The latest Kindle has many of the Paperwhite's best features for $30 less. It's smaller and lighter than the Paperwhite, and the battery lasts for a week on a single charge. LEDs let a new mom rock her baby and read in the dim wee hours, and it supports Audible books and Bluetooth headphones for when her hands are occupied.
Even if your local library is closed, you can download an endless supply of free electronic library books. In the long run, getting a Kindle will save an avid reader lots of money.
Photograph: AppleA Handy Apple Speaker
Apple HomePod MiniIf your mom is an Apple user, she will probably love the HomePod Mini. Like all of Apple's products, it's ridiculously easy to set up out of the box. You can put it on your bedside table or set two at opposite sides of the room for stereo sound. If you have an iPhone, music or podcasts will transfer automatically to the speaker when you set your phone next to it, or you can enable Personal Requests to let the speaker find your phone. While these features do exist on other smart speakers, it's so much easier to have Apple's engineers set everything up for me. (If you can't stand Siri, we have other smart speaker picks here).
Photograph: NimbleThe Best Overall Charger
Nimble 8-Day ChargerWhenever my mom visits me, she immediately rustles through my electronics cabinet to steal the cords and power blocks that she's forgotten to bring. This year, I will be passive-aggressively gifting her a portable charger of her very own. When he was testing for our portable charger guide, WIRED reviewer Scott Gilbertson noted that the more environmentally friendly Nimble charger has enough power to keep several devices charged through a long weekend. If your mom also steals your charging cords, we like these wireless chargers as well.
Photograph: OxoA Coffee Upgrade
Oxo Conical Burr GrinderTwo years ago, you got your caffeinated mom a high-end coffee maker. Last year you got her a coffee subscription. This year, may I suggest a grinder? As product reviewer Scott Gilbertson notes, nothing will improve her morning coffee faster than high-quality, freshly roasted beans that are ground right before she brews them.
I own this Oxo grinder, and it takes up remarkably little counter space and fits under my wall cabinets. There are 15 settings for different grind sizes. You can also adjust the length of the grind time. After a little experimentation, you probably won't need a scale to grind the appropriate amount.
Photograph: YetiThe Mommy Sippy Cup
Yeti Rambler with Straw LidUnfortunately, “mommy sippy cup” is what my 3- and 6-year-olds call this Yeti Rambler with a straw lid, usually as they're yanking it out of my hands to drink from it themselves. Happily, the straw lid is shatter-resistant, so it doesn't crack into a million pieces when it inevitably falls on the floor. The straw is also dishwasher-safe, so it's easy to clean when they goop it up with peanut butter and other sticky unmentionables. If your mom also has trouble staying hydrated, these come in a variety of jewel colors and can be customized if you order from the Yeti website.
Photograph: SnackcrateTraveling Snacks
SnackCrateOne of my favorite parts about traveling is going into a grocery store and figuring out what alligator jerky or peanut chips I'm going to be eating for the rest of the journey. Obviously, that's impossible now. But a Snackcrate can bring the flavors of the world to your doorstep.
Each box has themed snacks from a different country, like Cadbury Golden Crisp bars from Ireland or ginger biscuits from the Caribbean. You can order a box in three different sizes and they ship directly from the source every month. This would be a particularly nice gift for a new mom who has trouble running to the store for late-night munchies.
