30 Perfect Mother’s Day Gift Ideas
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A New Pair of HeadphonesCreative Aurvana Ace 2Read more
A Chocolate BouquetBokksu Chocolate BouquetRead more
An Analog Planning SystemUG Monk Analog Starter KitRead more
A Changing Robe for EverythingDryrobe Advance Long SleeveRead more
SPEAKING AS A mom myself, I know that the best gift you can give your mother is you. If you can swing it, you should make it point of seeing her on Mother's Day. If you think you'd like to bring her a gift, now is the time to start thinking about it, because Mother's Day is approaching on May 12, 2024. Scrambling for ideas? We've got gift recommendations below.
Your mom may be the person who loves you the most in the world, but she probably has a lot of other things going on, like traveling for work, working out, or hanging out with friends. I consulted other WIRED parents for their favorite picks. These are our best Mother's Day gift ideas to help moms work from home, annotate their books, or dip into the world of gaming in their downtime. While you're at it, check out our many other buying guides, like the Best Gift Ideas for New Parents, Best Kid Podcasts, or the Best Kid Tablets.
Updated May 2024: We added new picks, including the James Randolph Cache, the Free Fly Breeze skort, and more.
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- Photograph: Creative
A New Pair of Headphones
Creative Aurvana Ace 2If you're reading WIRED, you are probably nerdy. And it is very possible that you, like me, are this way because your nerdy mom watched Star Trek and The X-Files with you as a kid. (Thanks, Mom!) If that's the case, then you are going to thrill and delight her with the first pair of earbuds that have solid-state drivers (9/10, WIRED Recommends). They look insanely cool and don't cost $500. They have ground-breaking tech, and she gets to spend all morning listening to you explain it all to her.
Creative's xMems drivers use piezoelectric effect, rather than the dynamic pistons that earbuds normally use (though they do have a pair of dynamic drivers that act as subwoofers, too). That lets them reproduce a much wider range of frequencies much faster, which means more clarity and depth, and shockingly awesome bass. Cowboy Carter will sound so much better. Moms love Beyoncé. (Play “Protector” on Mother's Day and see if she doesn't cry!) If these are a little out of your budget, JLab makes the cutest, tiniest earbuds in the most fun, bright colors that your mom can also pop on your keychain to listen to a podcast while she's waiting in line at the pharmacy.
- Photograph: Adrienne So
A Chocolate Bouquet
Bokksu Chocolate BouquetBokksu is a company that focuses solely on bringing Japanese goodies back to hungry people in the United States. The company makes one of our favorite snack boxes, so of course we had to try these adorable chocolate bouquets from Bokksu. Reviewer Nena Farrell notes that they are sweet without being too sweet. The 10-pack comes with three flavors—vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry— each with chocolate flower, a matcha-chocolate leaf, and a cone to hold it all together. It looks a bit like a flower ice cream cone, miniaturized.
If your mom is also weirdly fascinated by the pineberry trend but not too stoked on the idea of biting into an albino fruit, Bokksu also makes a White Strawberry ($32) box with 12 freeze-dried strawberries that have white chocolate infused inside. It’s so good! More fruity sweet than chocolatey sweet, if that’s more her speed.
- Photograph: Ugmonk
An Analog Planning System
UG Monk Analog Starter KitIf your mom is anything like me, her life is delicately arranged between her work and personal Google Calendars that each have several kid calendars, 10 different messaging apps, the Notes app, and her paper planner. (And then, of course, a journal to remind herself that she did get stuff done, even though it feels like she didn't do anything, so why is she exhausted?)
That's why I was immediately drawn to reviewer Scott Gilbertson's Ugmonk Analog Starter Kit (9/10, WIRED Recommends). It's a beautifully crafted wooden index card holder, with color-coded, preprinted index cards. Every morning, she can sit serenely at a beautiful, ceremonial object and plot out her day in a meditative, analog fashion. This will help her focus her attention and let her get things done, rather than sitting down at her computer, immediately getting bombarded by hundreds of emails and Slack messages, then shorting out and shopping for black tights for her daughter's Irish dance class for an hour. What was I saying? Oh yes, this is for your mom, not me.
- Photograph: Dryrobe
A Changing Robe for Everything
Dryrobe Advance Long SleeveThe biggest misconception about changing robes is that you only need them when you're going into, or out of, cold water. A giant, warm, fleecy robe that fits over whatever you're wearing (or not wearing), has a weatherproof exterior, and has deep internal and external zip pockets? And a big hood? Sign me up! In addition to outdoor adventures, I also wear one around the house while I'm working, when walking the dog, and when I'm playing video games on the couch at night.
Dryrobe was founded by British surfer Gideon Bright and offers a variety of robes in a bunch of bright colors and sizes, for both adults and kids. The synthetic lambswool interior feels the heaviest and the most premium of the robes we tested. The only downside of presenting your mom with one of these is that you will then have to buy one for everyone else in your family.
- Photograph: Adrienne So
The Best Work Bag
Tom Bihn Nomad ToteWe have yet to add this to our guide to the Best Laptop Totes, but I can't wait any longer. I have tried several tote bags to get me away from my trusty backpacks, and this is the first one that I've started to reach for automatically. It's made by Tom Bihn, which sews and designs all its bags in Seattle, so all the components are top of the line—for example, the bomber coil zippers (rather than toothed zippers) don't tear at my knuckles when I rummage through the pockets, and the nylon is bluesign-certified, which guarantees the safe use of textiles at the manufacturer as well as the removal of known hazardous chemicals.
The handles are slim but reinforced, long enough for me to comfortably tuck the bag under my shoulder but not thin enough to cut into my skin. It has a bit of structure so I can organize the interior, and at 17 inches wide it's big enough for a 13-inch laptop, a little carryall pouch for my lip balms and hand sanitizer, a few water bottles, and you know, all the different random mom necessities, like a Kindle and a half-empty bag of tortilla chips. There's also a luggage pass-through so you can put it on top of your carry-on.
A Beautiful Pen
Baronfig Squire Rollerball PenI am cheating a little bit here when I say that every year, my husband and kids get me a new Baronfig pen for Mother's Day. (I am predictably easy to please.) I am a pen addict who loves going to stationery stores, but so far I have yet to find a pen that I like more than this one. It comes in a variety of beautiful colors, and sometimes there are special editions. It feels pleasingly heavy in the hand. The ink rolls smoothly and doesn't bleed through the pages of my Hobonichi Techo, and it's small and smooth enough to fit in the pen pockets of my Tom Bihn bag. It's refillable and the the cap threads smoothly to exchange cartridges. My first one is five years old now and still going strong. My colleague Parker Hall loves a Lamy pen.
- Photograph: Nintendo
More Joy-Cons
Nintendo Joy-ConsEvery mom I know owns a Nintendo Switch. It's cute, affordable, and the best platform for playing all her cozy games. Now that my kids are older, I have no greater joy in the world than being able to sit down after dinner and play a half-hour of Mario Party or Super Mario Wonder with my kids. If your mom is similar, she probably needs more Joy-Cons because y'all keep breaking hers. I especially like getting sets in different colors. (No one can touch the pastel purple one. That's Mommy's.) For more co-op Switch ideas, check out our guide to the Best Nintendo Switch Games.
- Photograph: Amazon
A Fascinating, Challenging Book
Doppelganger: A Trip Into the Mirror WorldI have made this mistake before, but do not buy your mom a book about motherhood. If you're old enough to read this, your mom is also old enough to be an expert at mothering (you) and you should probably get her a book on something else she likes, like photography or fishing.
On our list of the best tech books for gifting, the one that all my friends recommend is Naomi Klein's take on how she dropped into an alternate universe when she started getting mistaken online for her namesake, Naomi Wolf. To be clear: Naomi Klein is a climate journalist, and Naomi Wolf used to be a feminist but is now a Covid truther. Especially in an election year, it is timely and important to read about social media and the spread of misinformation online.
- Photograph: Cliffset
A Travel Utensil Set
Cliffset Silverware Starter PackProbably the most mom-like thing that I do is save all the napkins, tiny packets of soy sauce, and plastic-wrapped utensil packages from every random takeout order and pack them in my lunch or purse when I pack myself a lunch. Two years after reading reviewer Scott Gilbertson's rave on the Cliffset portable dining set, I finally bought myself one. Wow, it is really an upgrade. (Also, I finally ran out of hoarded ones.)
Yes, I could've taken one of the camping sporks out of our kit, but that virtually guarantees that it won't be in the bin the next time we pack our car for a trip. Cliffset's utensils come in a zippered holder so that my fork doesn't come in contact with anything else that might be in my bag. It also includes a cleaning system, which consists of a small spray bottle of cleaning solution; a scraping tool; and a wipe so you can clean right after you eat and pack it away again. It's so efficient and I'm not terrified to open the case and discover that I've left yogurt rotting in there for two weeks. Thank you, Cliffset.
- Photograph: Simon Hill
A Small Outdoor Camera
TP-Link Tapo C425 (Battery)Does your mom get a little bit nervous about not being able to see that little strip of side yard? TP-Link's outdoor security camera is surprisingly affordable and comes with an option to be bundled with a solar panel. It has a magnetic base that makes it easier to take off and recharge. The app is solid and there's a built-in spotlight to scare away anyone or anything who might be lurking by the garbage bin. We have a few other, and some much nicer-looking, options in our guide to the Best Outdoor Security Cameras.
- Photograph: Apple
A Tiny Tablet
Apple iPad Mini (2021, 6th Gen)Your working mom probably already has a desktop and a laptop; what she doesn't have is a delightfully smol iPad Mini (8/10, WIRED Recommends) to rewatch all of the Lord of the Rings movies while washing dishes or traveling for work. The updated slate packs Apple’s latest processor, a Touch ID button on the edge, a bigger display, and an upgraded camera complete with Center Stage—which helps keep Mom in the frame during FaceTime calls. With support for the second-generation Apple Pencil and Smart Folio case (both sold separately), Mom can replace her notepad, ebook reader, and TV with this petite and portable tablet.
- Photograph: Twelve South
A Floating iPad Stand
Twelve South HoverBar Duo 2.0OK, now you've gotten her an iPad Mini. But you don't want to add trouble to her life as she figures out where and how to prop it up without craning her neck at weird angles.
Twelve South's newest Duo has both a clamp and a stand. She can clamp the iPad to her nightstand to catch a few episodes of Wallander as she's going to bed. But then she can remove the stand and place that in the kitchen when she's cooking and slot the iPad into whichever holder she wants. Or attach them together! There's even an included hex key to tighten it up if the hinges start feeling loose. For more, check out our Best iPad Accessories guide.
