Best Graduation Gift Ideas (that actually get used)
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Some links may earn us a commission at no extra cost to you.
Graduation gifts land best when they help the grad start the next chapter—moving, commuting, first apartment life, or first “real” job. I picked categories that cover those moments, with options that feel meaningful now and still useful months later.
Gift categories
Tech that makes the next chapter easier
-
Amazon Kindle Paperwhite (16GB, newest model)
A “quiet upgrade” gift for commutes, dorm wind-downs, or bedtime reading without doom-scrolling. It’s practical, sleek, and feels like a fresh-start treat.
Amazon Kindle Paperwhite 16GB (newest model) – 20% faster, with new 7" glare-free display and weeks of battery life – Black- Our fastest Kindle Paperwhite ever – The next-generation 7“ Paperwhite display has a higher contrast ratio and 25% faster page turns.
- Ready for travel – The ultra-thin design has a larger glare-free screen so pages stay sharp no matter where you are.
- Escape into your books – Your Kindle doesn’t have social media, notifications, or other distracting apps.
-
Anker Power Bank (PowerCore 10K)
Perfect for travel days, campus-to-work transitions, and “my phone is at 6%” emergencies. A small gift that saves them constantly.
Anker Power Bank(PowerCore 10K), Compact Travel-Ready 10,000mAh Battery Pack with PowerIQ Charging Technology, 5V/3A High-Speed Charging for iPhone, iPad,and More (2, Black)- Slim Size, Big Power: One of the slimmest and lightest 10,000mAh portable chargers on the market. Provides 2 charges for iPhone 15, 1.93 charges for Galaxy S23, and 1.23 charges for iPad mini 6.
- Lightweight and Compact: With its compact 5.99 × 2.81 × 0.61-inch size and weighing a mere 8.6 oz, it's designed for on-the-go lifestyles.
- Tough and Trustworthy: Engineered for toughness with scratch resistance in mind. Its durability is certified by a 3.2 ft drop test.
-
Logitech MX Keys Mini Wireless Keyboard
A real workspace upgrade for laptop life—internships, remote classes, first apartment desk setups. Great if they’ll type a lot (applications, emails, projects).
Logitech MX Keys Mini Minimalist Wireless Illuminated Keyboard, Compact, Bluetooth, Backlit, USB-C, Compatible with Apple macOS, iOS, Windows, Linux, Android, Metal Build - Graphite- Perfect Stroke Typing with Smart Keys (1): Type on keys shaped for your fingertips, with voice to text Dictation (4), Mic Mute/Unmute, and Emoji keys
- Mini Size, Mighty Powerful: A layout designed for effortless precision, with a minimalist form for an ergonomic keyboard that's portable and can travel wherever you get work done
- Smart Illumination: The wireless keyboard's backlit keys light up the moment your hands approach, and automatically adjust to suit changing lighting conditions
-
Echo Dot (5th Gen)
A fun-but-functional gift for alarms, timers, music, and routines in a dorm or apartment. It’s an easy way to make a new place feel like their place.
Amazon Echo Dot (newest model) - Vibrant sounding speaker with Alexa+ Early Access, Great for bedrooms, dining rooms and offices, Charcoal- Your favorite music and content – Play music, audiobooks, and podcasts from Amazon Music, Apple Music, Spotify and others or via Bluetooth throughout your home.
- Alexa is happy to help – Ask Alexa for weather updates and to set hands-free timers, get answers to your questions and even hear jokes. Need a few extra minutes in the morning? Just tap your Echo Dot to snooze your alarm.
- Keep your home comfortable – Control compatible smart home devices with your voice and routines triggered by built-in motion or indoor temperature sensors. Create routines to automatically turn on lights when you walk into a room, or start a fan if the inside temperature goes above your comfort zone.
Travel + “I’m always on the move” essentials
-
Samsonite Freeform Hardside Carry-On (21″)
If they’re traveling for school, internships, or job interviews, a solid carry-on is a grown-up gift that lasts. Practical now, invaluable later.
Samsonite Freeform Hardside Carry-On Luggage with Spinner Wheels - Hardshell Suitcase - TSA, Airline-Approved - Expandable Hard Shell, Smooth Rolling Wheels for Lightweight Travel – Black- The Perfect Size: The textured, scratch-resistant exterior of this hardshell carry-on luggage is 15 x 10 x 23 inches" with wheels and meets the cabin size restrictions of most airlines.
- Stay Organized: This small hard-sided carry-on suitcase provides ample packing room with a spacious 20.5" x 14.5" x 10.0" interior. The elastic straps, divider, and pouch ensure everything stays neatly in place
-
Apple AirTag 4-Pack
Ideal for the grad who misplaces keys, backpacks, or luggage during hectic travel days. It’s the kind of gift that prevents stress before it starts.
Apple AirTag 4 Pack- Keep track of and find your items alongside friends and devices in the Find My app
- Simple one-tap setup instantly connects AirTag with your iPhone or iPad
- Play a sound on the built-in speaker to help find your things, or just ask Siri for help
-
Samsonite Luggage Scale (manual)
A low-key, super-useful travel helper—especially if they’ll fly and pack heavy. Great as a “smart adulting” add-on to luggage.
Samsonite® Luggage Scale, Manual, 5"H x 2"W x 4"D, Black- Heavy suitcases and bags can cost you extra in fees when traveling by airplane. This easy-to-use scale helps you check the weight of your luggage before reaching the counter, so you can remove unnecessary items and reduce your baggage fees.
- Sturdy plastic construction can endure constant use.
- Convenient way to weigh luggage and bags before reaching the counter.
-
Tile by Life360 Essentials 4-Pack
A helpful alternative tracker set for keys, wallets, and bags—awesome for disorganized movers and busy commuters.
Tile by Life360 Essentials - Bluetooth Trackers & Item Locators for Keys, Wallets, Remotes & More; Easily Find All Your Things. Both iOS and Android Compatible. 4-Pack (Mates/Slim/Sticker)- A VARIETY OF TRACKERS FOR YOUR THINGS: A selection of Tiles to help keep track of your keys, wallet, remotes, and more. Keep track of more for less with our multi-packs or give them to your friends and family as a gift
- FIND YOUR THINGS: Ring your misplaced Tile, or track it down in the free app
- FIND YOUR PHONE: Phone hiding under a cushion? Use your Tile to make it ring — even when silenced
Coffee + kitchen basics for first-apartment life
-
Nespresso VertuoPlus Coffee & Espresso Machine (by De’Longhi)
A celebratory gift that turns “first apartment mornings” into something special. Great for grads who love café vibes but need convenience.
De'Longhi Nespresso Vertuo Plus Coffee and Espresso Maker by De'Longhi, Grey with Aeroccino Milk Frother- DUAL ESPRESSO & COFFEE MACHINE: Single serve coffee or espresso at the touch of a button. Innovative programs and features such as 25 sec heat up and energy saving automatic shut off
- COFFEE FOR EVERY OCCASION: Brew better coffee at home with Nespresso's VertuoPlus coffee machine. Drink your coffee bold, mild hot, or iced
- VERSATILE COFFEE MAKER: Brew 4 different cup sizes at the touch of a button (5oz and 8oz coffee, single and double espresso). Pour over ice to create your favorite blend of iced coffee and lattes
-
Bodum Chambord French Press (34 oz)
For the coffee/tea minimalist: simple, classic, and easy to gift without overthinking. Great for roommates, small kitchens, and cozy mornings.
Bodum 34oz Chambord French Press Coffee Maker, High-Heat Borosilicate Glass, Polished Stainless Steel – Made in Portugal- Wash in warm, soapy water before first use and dry thoroughly
- Not for stovetop use
- Turn lid to close spout
-
Instant Pot Duo 7-in-1 (6-Qt)
A major adulting win: quick meals, batch cooking, and “I don’t know how to cook” confidence. Ideal for grads building a routine on a budget.
Instant Pot Duo 7-in-1 Electric Pressure Cooker, Slow Cooker, Rice, Steamer, Sauté, Yogurt Maker, Warmer & Sterilizer, Includes App With Over 800 Recipes, Stainless Steel, 6 Quart- 7 Cooking Functions: Pressure cook, slow cook, sauté, steam, make rice, yogurt, or simply keep your meal warm—all in one appliance
- Customizable Smart Programs: Tackle every recipe with 13 one-touch options, from hearty soups to decadent cakes
- Safe & Easy Steam Release: The Easy-Release steam switch ensures fast, safe, and simple steam release every time
Drinkware they’ll grab every single day
-
YETI Rambler 20 oz Tumbler (with MagSlider Lid)
A reliable daily companion for commutes, study sessions, and office desks. It’s a “nice version” of something they already use constantly.
YETI Rambler 20 oz Tumbler, Stainless Steel, Vacuum Insulated with MagSlider Lid, Black- These Ramblers come standard with our YETI MagSlider Lid, the only drink lid that uses the power of magnets to keep your water, beer, or favorite drink on lock
- Our Ramblers are BPA-free, dishwasher safe, and have a No Sweat Design to make sure your hands stay dry
- Dracut is a durable coat of color that won't fade, peel, or crack through extended field use and also provide additional grip to the Rambler's exterior
-
Hydro Flask Wide Mouth Bottle (32 oz)
A great everyday upgrade for workouts, long days on campus, or office hydration goals. Practical, giftable, and easy to personalize with stickers.
Career-starter + organization gifts (interviews, first job, grad school)
-
Genuine Leather Padfolio Portfolio (resume folder style)
Perfect for interviews, onboarding days, and feeling pulled-together walking into new spaces. It’s confidence you can wrap.
Genuine Leather Professional Padfolio Portfolio - Resume Folder with Luxury Pen, Stylish Document Folio for Letter Size Writing Pad with Business Card Holder, Ideal Gift Portfolios for Men and Women- Organize Like a Boss! – This leather portfolio is your ultimate secret weapon. Whether you’re a CEO or just like pretending to be one, our leather organizer keeps your notes, business cards, and documents in place so you look like you’ve got everything together (even if you don’t).
- Ready for Any Meeting – With space for a leather notepad holder, business cards, and important documents, this leather padfolio ensures you never fumble for anything. Plus, it comes with a luxury pen because you deserve to sign those deals in style.
- For Men and Women Who Mean Business – Whether it’s a business portfolio for men or a business portfolio for women, this sleek and professional genuine leather portfolio has everything you need. No zippers, no stress—just easy access to all your essentials.
-
Moleskine Classic Notebook (Large, Squared)
A simple, classy gift for planning, problem-solving, and “new goals” journaling. Great for grads who like writing things down.
Moleskine Classic Notebook, Large, Squared, Red, Hard Cover (5 x 8.25)- CLASSIC MOLESKINE NOTEBOOK: Moleskine classic notebooks are perfect notebooks for writing journals, a daily diary, or note taking in college classes or meetings. Moleskine notebooks are beloved by travelers & bullet journalists for their slim design.
- DURABLE COVER & ELASTIC CLOSURE: Hold writing projects & notes in your Moleskine notebook with an elastic closure band & inner storage folders. Leather-like classic Moleskine cover & thick, ivory paper pages are perfect for writing with fountain pens.
- GIFT QUALITY NOTEBOOKS: Moleskine planners, journals and notebooks come in hardcover or softcover and colors like black, red, blue, green and brown. The binding and cover have a durable finish, designed for daily journaling, writing and sketching.
-
LEUCHTTURM1917 Softcover Notebook (Medium A5, Dotted)
A favorite format for bullet journaling, habit tracking, or project notes—especially if they love structure but want flexibility.
LEUCHTTURM1917 - Notebook Softcover Medium A5-123 Numbered Pages for Writing and Journaling (Ocean, Dotted)- The A5 MEDIUM Softcover has all of the extra LEUCHTTURM1917 details but is significantly lighter and thinner than the Medium Hardcover as a result of fewer pages (123 pages) and the flexible softcover
- Thread-bound to open flat which helps make reading the contents easy and adds efficiency to note-taking
- Features 80g/m² acid-free paper with high ink compatibility to help prevent bleed through, an expandable gusseted pocket on the back cover, 2 ribbon page markers, and an elastic closure band
-
Rocketbook Everlast Smart Reusable Notebook (A4)
Awesome for the grad who takes lots of notes and likes scanning/organizing digitally. A neat bridge between handwriting and cloud folders.
Rocketbook Everlast Smart Reusable Notebook A4 - Color: Teal- Sold as 1 Each.
- No more wasting paper - this environmentally-friendly notebook can be used endlessly.
- Use our free app to scan and blast your handwritten notes to your favorite cloud services like Google drive, email, Dropbox, Evernote, box, OneNote, slack, iCloud and more.
-
Moleskine Smart Writing Set (Smart Notebook & Smart Pen)
A premium productivity gift for grads headed into demanding programs or creative careers—write on paper, keep things organized digitally.
Moleskine Smart Writing Set Smart Notebook & New Smart Pen (2022) - Store Handwritten Notes Digitally, with Connected Notebook Notes App (Only Compatible Smart Notebooks)- INCLUDES: Redesigned digital Smart Pen, Smart Notebook with N-coded paper, magnetic USB recharging cable, and 1 pen tip ink refill. Designed with N-Code technology, which allows the Smart Pen to capture each stroke and store a digital copy of your notes.
- FROM PAGE TO SCREEN: Companion app seamlessly transfers what's written on the page to your device, digitizing your notes & allowing you to notate, share, search, edit, & organize what's on paper. The app is both Android & Apple compatible.
- MULTIMEDIA: Notes can be edited, deleted, transcribed and colored in real time. Share your drawings and notes as an image, a PDF or export directly on Microsoft Word and PowerPoint. Option to back up your content on Google Drive and Microsoft OneDrive.
Home vibe upgrades (makes a new room feel like theirs)
-
Philips Hue White & Color Ambiance Starter Kit (Bridge + bulbs)
A fun “new space” gift that instantly upgrades dorm/apartment lighting for studying, relaxing, or hosting friends.
Philips - Hue White & Color Ambiance LED Starter Kit - 3 Multicolor A19 Bulbs, Hue Bridge and Hue Dimmer Switch (Gen 3 - Richer Colors)- 3 A19/E26 9.5W 800 Lumens Multicolor Bulbs - (Gen 3 - Richer Colors!!!)
- Philips Hue Bridge - Gen 3
- Philips Hue Wireless Dimmer Switch
-
Nixplay Smart Digital Picture Frame (10.1″)
A surprisingly emotional gift: preload it with family photos (or let friends send pics later). Great for homesick moments and long-distance life.
Nixplay Smart Digital Picture Frame I 10.1 inch I WiFi I Black I Shared Family Playlists I Mobile App, Email I Preload Content for a Gifted Frame- OUR DIGITAL FRAMES CONNECT the families of 4 million customers. Recognized and celebrated by Rolling Stone, Oprah Magazine, NBC News, and millions of users, Nixplay is the industry leader in digital picture frame design and software innovation.
- SETUP AS EASY AS 1-2-3 - Download our app, plugin the digital picture frame, and follow the on-screen instructions to upload photos and videos. With WiFi connectivity and the Nixplay app for iOS, Android & desktop, you can now invite multiple users to upload photos to a frame. You can even connect multiple digital picture frames to the app, sharing precious moments across devices.
- READY TO GIFT - Preload the digital picture frame with photos, videos, and a personalized message using the Nixplay app. It offers an unforgettable experience, all without the need to open the box!
Memories + milestone keepsakes
-
Fujifilm Instax Mini 12 Instant Camera
Perfect for graduation parties, trips, and first-apartment memories—instant prints feel special and shareable.
Fujifilm Instax Mini 12 Instant Film Camera - Pastel Blue- Compact and cute design. Easily twist the lens to turn on and off
- Built-in selfie mirror for easy selfies Close-up mode with parallax correction
- Features automatic exposure and flash control for bright photos that are not “washed-out”
-
Diploma Frame (fits 8.5″ x 11″)
A classic gift that makes the achievement feel “official.” Great if you want something meaningful that still looks clean in any room.
GraduationMall 8.5x11 Diploma Frame with Black over Gold Mat or Display 11x14 Document without Mat, UV Protection Acrylic, Mahogany with Gold Beads- SIZE: Fit 8.5" x 11" certificates documents with black over gold double mat and display 11" x 14" diplomas without mat. 1.25" wide and 1" thick molding. Overall size is 12" x 15" x 1".
- MATERIAL: The frames are made of high quality recyled polystyrene with a nice red wood grain finish, durable and environmentally friendly. Durable high definition & UV protction acrylic protect your photos from dust, moisture and scratches, make your pictures great for years.
- WALL DISPLAY: Display on the wall mounting with the hanging hardware vertically or horizontally.
Money-smart gifts (the “future me will thank you” category)
-
I Will Teach You to Be Rich (book)
A solid “welcome to adult money” gift—best for grads ready to learn the basics without feeling overwhelmed.
I Will Teach You to Be Rich: No Guilt. No Excuses. Just a 6-Week Program That Works (Second Edition)- Ramit Sethi (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 352 Pages - 05/14/2019 (Publication Date) - Generic (Publisher)
-
Expense Tracker Ledger (budget journal)
For the grad who likes writing things down and staying organized—great for rent, bills, and saving goals in the first year out.
Expense Tracker: Simple Money Management Ledger Notebook (Personal Expense Diary). Budget Book to Record Income and Expenses. Finance Monthly & Weekly ... Organizer Journal Notebook | Budget Planning- Richards, Sirena (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 121 Pages - 05/21/2021 (Publication Date) - Independently published (Publisher)
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.