I f AirPods are “fire” and other brands are “mid”, does this mean they’re good? If a fab Lululemon jacket gives your kid “drip”, should you consult a doctor? Teenagers are already tough to decipher. Now try to figure out which consoles they own and which shade of makeup they prefer, and it’s no wonder most parents just resort to cash and gift cards.

But don’t give up just yet. We braved eye rolls and shrugs to extract 36 gift ideas for teens from teens themselves. Pulling these answers out of angsty coming-of-agers wasn’t easy. But they revealed the most sought-after gifts for gen Alpha .

All prices current at the time of publication. The 163 best holiday gift ideas for 2025, vetted by the Guardian US staff Read more

The very best gift ideas for US teens

Gifts for teen fash

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