27 Gifts for the Best Mom You Know
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Moms are people, too. They love their kids but also have plenty of their own hobbies (cooking! running! gaming!), and they deserve gifts that honor them as people, not just as parents. Gifts for Mom shouldn't be about giving her a vacuum or anything related to the stereotypical cleaning tasks of parenthood—a perfect gift for your mom will show you know how she likes to spend the rest of her hours when she isn’t parenting.
This guide has the best gift ideas around for all kinds of moms and the activities they might love, whether it’s a holiday like Mother’s Day or Christmas or you're in a need of a fun birthday gift for your mom—or, God forbid, your mother-in-law. (Unless your mother-in-law is great! In which case, mazel tov!)
Looking for mom gear to help your favorite mama out? We have guides on everything from breast pumps and strollers to the best baby gear for that first year. Don't forget to check out our guides for coffee lovers, working from home, and being constantly cold if you’re looking for something a little more specific.
Updated November 2024: We've added new gifts to this guide and updated pricing.
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- Photograph: Brenda Stolyar
For the Reader Mom
Amazon Kindle (2024, 11th Generation)Amazon has four new Kindles, refreshing the entire line in a bigger way than it ever has before. There are three updates to its existing lines with a new Kindle, Kindle Paperwhite, and Kindle Scribe, plus the first-ever color Kindle, the Kindle Colorsoft (7/10, WIRED Recommends). And you know what Mom wants? A new Kindle, probably. I have the 2022 Kindle and while WIRED reviewer Brenda Stoylar says it's not that different from the new basic Kindle, I'm absolutely putting the matcha green color on my Christmas list. If you know a mom who loves to color code her notes, she might love an upgrade to the Colorsoft, which allows for colorful highlights as she reads.
If she doesn’t need an all-new Kindle, I love using the Lamicall Tablet Holder ($28) to hold up my Kindle for me as I read. I have wrists cysts (nicknamed Mommy's Wrist cysts!) that usually make it painful to hold even a lightweight Kindle up for too long, but this handy holder takes that pain away. It latches onto nearby tables or furniture, or you can gift the floor stand ($70) version.
- Photograph: Beis
For the Sporty Mom
Beis The Sport CarryallMaybe Mom has picked up a new sport hobby, like pickleball or a dance class. Maybe she already loves these things but carries all her gear—whether that's paddles and balls or dance shoes or a yoga mat—in an old tote bag or a falling-apart gym bag from who knows when. As a mom with a new sporty hobby (aerial dance!), I found myself constantly scrounging for a tote bag to carry my water bottle and various accessories, until I tried the Sport Carryall from Beis. It's got lots of pockets and a yoga-mat-friendly design for the days I remember my mat for stretch sessions, or the same pocket can become a pickleball paddle holder. It's a great bag that can be used for both whatever her current hobby is and transform with her when she discovers her next sporty obsession.
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- Photograph: Nena Farrell
For the Tired Mom
TP-Link Tapo Smart Wi-Fi Plug Mini (TP15)If your mom looks exhausted—and maybe a little exasperated—at the prospect of hunting down all the light switches in her house at the end of each day, get her a couple smart plugs. She can plug in things like lamps and TVs to automatically switch them off at a certain time, or choose to switch them off (or on!) manually whenever she likes in the app. If you want to make her life extra convenient, make her a little smart home gift basket with a couple smart plugs, a smart speaker she can voice control, and a voucher that promises you'll set it all up for her.
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For the Blowout Mom
Beachwaver Blow Dry Brush SetBeachwaver's blow dry brush set has become one of my favorite hair tools of all time, especially as a mom with less time to style my hair. Not only does it come with four different attachments—a round brush, a smoothing brush, a diffuser, and an oval nozzle—to style your hair while you dry it, but it's incredibly lightweight. Which is a huge bonus if she has a lot of hair she's trying to dry and style, or struggling with wrist pain like I have due to Mommy's Wrist. It's super cute, too, with its pale pink color, but it can also style every kind of hair with its range of attachments. I find myself regularly alternating between giving myself a blowout or diffusing my natural curls with the help of this brush, and now your favorite mom can get the same benefit.
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- Photograph: Nena Farrell
For the Nerdy Mom
Crow & Crown D&D Character JournalIf your mom loves to roll dice and watch Critical Role, do I have the gift for her. One of my most precious and unique gifts I've gotten in recent years were these gorgeous gaming journals from Crow & Crown. They're designed to replace your character sheet in Dungeons & Dragons, taking a frankly hideous piece of paper and turning it into a much easier to use (and much prettier to look at!) little journal for any role-player mom to track her character's abilities and supplies. There's also a dot journal ($9) if she prefers a more free-form space, and a Bag of Holding Tote ($20) that is just begging to be gifted.
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For the Tea-Loving Mom
Art of Tea Colored Glass Tea CupDoes your mom have a teacup collection like my mother and I do? Or does she love clear, chic glassware? Art of Tea's glass teacups are my new go-to for my daily cup of tea. They're beautiful to look at and comfortable to hold, and they hold just the right amount of tea for a well-brewed cup. (And they’re dishwasher safe!) If you think she already has too many teacups, Art of Tea’s Iced Tea Bundle Kit ($37) lets her brew delicious iced tea in a container worth putting on the tea table.
- Photograph: Birthdate Co.
For the Astrology Mom
Birthdate CandlesI love Birthdate Co.’s candles so much that I got one for each of my friends. Each one has a custom scent designed for that day of the year and includes various birth-date knowledge on the label, including astrology details, which makes for a great personalized gift. You can gift her her own birthday or a child’s birthday (or both!) so she can commemorate two of the most important days of her life and geek out on the fun information the candle has for that day of the year.
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For the Shower Mom
Brooklinen Super Plush RobeI don't think I've ever showered so often as I do now with a toddler. Between day trips to the zoo, hitting the beach, and the occasional flying yogurt, I'm constantly hopping into the shower to rinse off the latest insanity of the day (or fifteen layers of sand already in my hair at 11 am). I find myself often grabbing my Brooklinen Super Plush Robe to wrap around myself to feel extra cozy and clean, and it's especially handy so that I can focus on drying my hair while the robe helps soak away the shower water from my body. Brooklinen has a ton of robe designs and colors perfect for any mother and bathroom.
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For the Hydrated Mom
Owala 40-Ounce TumblerIf you're worried about lead in your mom's Stanley cup, replace it with one of our favorite reusable water bottles, the Owala Tumbler. It can do everything the popular Stanley can, without any lead in its manufacturing process. It'll keep Mom's water cold all day and fits into most cupholders and even some stroller organizers. You can drink with the straw or use the chug spout in the lid. Owala is constantly dropping fun, limited-edition colors, so keep an eye out for special colorways your mom will love. If she'd prefer a true reusable water bottle with no straw, Owala's FreeSip ($38) is another fantastic, colorful option. You can even get kiddo a matching one ($23).
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For the Stroller Era Mom
7AM Enfant Stroller OrganizerAfter testing dozens of strollers, I'm shocked to tell you that many of them do not come with cup holders. Or the ones that do can't handle my big, dumb cup. If you know a mom in her stroller era—that is, her kid is anywhere from newborn to around 5 years old, so they fit into a stroller—get her this fantastic universal stroller organizer. I've used it on everything from travel strollers to the ever-popular Uppababy Vista V2, and it really is universal to strap on with the Velcro straps and start strolling. It's big enough to fit two dumb cups, or in my case usually one big dumb cup for mom and one kiddo water bottle. The purse-like straps make it easy to carry around off the stroller, so the mom you gift it to (or yourself, I don't judge) can bring it inside to load it up, and carry it with it around her wrist so she's semi hands-free getting out the door. My favorite fluffy checkered print version ($65) is a little more expensive than the others, but it's worth it for the style statement. The other base colors are still great options.
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For the Dog Mom
JWPC Bulldog BowlI don't have a dog, but these gorgeous dog bowls from our dog accessories guide make me want one. This elevated bowl is a good choice for dogs without a ton of neck, like a bulldog, but they're also beautiful to look at and would be a great fit in my kitchen. I'm a cat mom (as well as a human mom), but I'm already wondering if my cat would like this as much as a dog would. I'd certainly rather look at this in my kitchen than the bowl we have right now.
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For the TV-Loving Mom
Dad Brand Exec Producer HatIf the deep double chime of Law & Order is constantly playing in the halls of your mom's home, she needs this hat. I bought it for my best friend a few years ago, and she's still wearing it everywhere—I watched three people compliment it in one week (though one of them was me). Dad Brand also makes hats for our fellow Sopranos-, Succession-, and White Lotus-loving moms. A hat that simply states Your Mom will also work if she prefers straight facts over great TV.
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For the Scatterbrained Mom
Chipolo Card SpotIs her wallet missing again? Or her keys? Get Mom a Chipolo Bluetooth tracker. Chipolo makes three different series, in two different form factors, that work with different operating systems. The One ($25) works with Chipolo's app, the Point ($28) works with Google Find My, and the Spot works with Apple Find My. I get instant alerts when my phone notices I left it behind somewhere that isn't my house. which is a little more versatile; the small, round tracker has a hole so you can clip it to your keys or even a backpack. Now she can find everything—as long as she can find her phone, of course.
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For the Overstimulated Mom
Anker Soundcore Space A40Being a mom is noisy. Kids are loud, everyone wants your help, someone is always touching you, and there is always something sticky. If your mom needs to unplug and recharge, the Space A40 earbuds from Anker (8/10, WIRED Recommends) are a great noise-canceling set of earbuds to gift her that won’t break the budget. She’ll get all the features of a nicer set of earbuds and finally get a little peace and quiet. Or you could just get her a set of earplugs.
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For the Hyper-Organized Mom
Plum Paper A5 PlannerPaper planners are great, and Plum Paper’s has been fun for me to use as a mom because I can customize it and add a section for just my son to each day. I like writing in things like if I'm on pickup duty or when his appointments are, and it's nice seeing it separated from the rest of my to-do's and tasks. There's also lots of baby-themed add-ons, from extra pages to stickers, along with other themed pages like cleaning lists, meal planning, shopping, and exercise tracking, so you can balance organizing family tasks along with personal interests.
To make it, choose the A5 Planner with the Vertical Priorities layout, and you'll need to add on the $6 customization. There's a lot you can customize there, but you might want to leave everything blank except writing in her kiddo's name in one of the two daily sections. For my planner, I wrote my son's name for one section and Top To-Do's for the other, but I wish I had labeled it with meetings or appointments.
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For the Cold Mom
Ugg Tasman SlippersIf your mom is always cold, we have a lot of ideas of what to give her to keep her warm anywhere she goes. My must-have, even in sunny San Diego, is a good pair of cozy slippers. Since Uggs are back in style, grab her a pair of Uggs Tasman Slippers so she can keep her feet nice and warm. The inner lining is soft and fuzzy, and unlike some slippers, the back has higher coverage to protect the back of her heel, too. If you think she’ll still be cold, maybe grab her one of our favorite weighted blankets.
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For the Chef Mom
Papier Recipe JournalWhile I like that smart displays can show me online recipes, some of my favorite recipes are handed down by word of mouth or family members, or my husband and I have edited them for our own perfect version. If your mom has her own special recipes, get her a beautiful recipe book from Papier where she can write them all down. These recipe books are well-made and lovely to look at, and something she can treasure as a keepsake and use for years to come. I have one for my own recipes that I'm slowly filling in.
Or, if your mom has various sheets of paper that hold her recipes (cut-out magazine pages! Recipes my dead grandmother wrote down! Weird notecards!) and isn't likely to rewrite her recipes, get her an organizer to keep them all in. I got this one ($22) for my parents and am so happy to see all their battered pieces of paper stored safely to use.
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For the Bath Bomb Mom
Aquala Bathtub CaddyI love bubble baths to relax, but unlike my kid, I need more than just a field of bubbles or a colorful bath bomb to keep me entertained. The Aquala's Bathtub Caddy is my favorite bath tray I've ever tried. I can balance a Kindle or book, glass of wine, and a candle on it. It's easy to adjust to any bath size with the adjustable arms, and the wire arms make it both compact to store and easy to move in or out of the bath without worry of smacking myself in the face with a giant all-wood tray. It’s sleek enough to leave out as some casual home decor too. Just make sure Mom's tub has at least a half-inch lip on both sides where the tray can balance.
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For the Cool Mom
Popflex Cloud HoodieYou know those cool girls who wear a hoodie and it falls perfectly over a shoulder and manages to be fun and oversize without drowning them in fabric? I found the hoodie behind it: the Popflex Cloud Hoodie. It's oversize, but the bottom of the hoodie still scrunches up to sit at my natural waist, keeping the oversize fit to my upper body instead of making me look like a walking marshmallow. The hood is massive—I feel like a Jedi when I wear it. It's soft inside and has a nice weight to the fabric without being overheated and heavy, and it always falls off one shoulder to make me look way more calm and casual than I ever feel when trying to wrangle my child. The Cloud Hoodie comes in hybrid sizes (e.g., M/L instead of medium or large) and I chose the small/medium for my petite, medium-size upper body, and it fits great. It comes in a ton of colors too, so you can pick Mom's favorite specific shade of cool-toned wheat, or dress her in bubblegum pink.
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For the Photographer Mom
Joby GripTight Tripod Mount for MagSafeWhen you have kids, you’re constantly taking pictures of great moments—but moms often don’t get to be in the picture, since they’re busy taking it. This is especially true if she’s a single parent or a stay-at-home mom with no one to take pictures while she and the kids hit the zoo or have a fun picnic. Maybe she’s just dying for photos with the kids and both parents that aren’t selfies. Joby’s handy little tripod is easy to pack in a bag. It can be contorted to stand level just about anywhere, and it uses MagSafe to easily slap a newer iPhone onto it. There are clamps for additional security or if you have a different kind of smartphone (or an iPhone older than the 12).
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For the Travel Mom
Calpak Clear Cosmetics CasesCalpak's clear cosmetics cases have gone viral for a reason. The cases come in three sizes—small ($75), medium ($85), and large ($95)—and multiple color options for the top and edges around the clear plastic body of the cases. The small is great for a purse or a gym bag, if you needed to throw a little makeup and deodorant stick somewhere secure, or some travel-size bottles. The medium is big enough to use for everyday makeup and hair items as well as any trips your mom or mom friend might go on—I have five large hair clips, lots of makeup, and a full-size hair brush inside my medium case. The large is the size I'd buy for my own mother, because no case is ever big enough for her, whether she's traveling or just organizing all her makeup in her bathroom drawers. If you want to look at more picks, check out our guide to the Best Toiletry Cases.
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For the Yoga Mom
Prana Heavana Hot Spell LeggingsI'm just your average mom who loves her leggings. Prana makes some of my favorites, and the Heavana Hot Spell Leggings are my current go-to pair. The Hot Spell name is in honor of using it for hot workouts, like hot yoga. They're super soft, and the waistband stays up and fitted without pinching my squishy post-baby middle, even after wearing the leggings for hours. I have the combo color of black with a beige stripe down the side of each leg, and the side stripe is more flattering than I expected. (Plus, the heather color goes nicely with the sand color of the Popflex hoodie. Guess what I'm wearing right now.) The only thing it's missing? Side pockets. Need some more yoga picks? Check out our guide to the Best Yoga Gear.
