Mar 26, 2025 11:08 AM

21 Gifts for the Best Mom You Know

There are many kinds of mothers, but these are our favorite picks for the WIRED mom in your life.

Featured in this article

The Kindle Basic a green ereader. Left The black and white cover of an ebook on the screen. Right The green backside...

Lumie Shine 300 a sphereshaped alarm clock with a white top and fabric bottom that includes buttons surrounding a small...

Mission Outdoor Cassi Beach Tote a deep green tote bag with mesh left side and large handle sitting on a wooden surface

A dark room showing a hand holding a Dr. Dennis Gross SpectraLite FaceWare Pro a white and gold facial mask that is...

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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 that you know how she likes to spend the rest of her hours when she isn’t parenting. This guide has fun gift ideas for all kinds of moms (and mothers-in-law!), whether it’s for Mother’s Day, Christmas, a birthday, or just because.

Looking for more true 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 perpetually cold if you’re looking for something a little more specific.

Updated March 2025: We've added the Mission Outdoor Cassi Tote, The Stakt Mat, and the Camp Snap camera to this guide.

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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. My favorite is the Kindle Scribe, since I love the digital notebook aspect, but the new basic Kindle comes in a cute matcha color that's great for gifting.
If she doesn’t need an all-new Kindle, I love using the Lamicall Tablet Holder ($30) 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.
$110 at Amazon
Photograph: Nena Farrell
For the Sleepy Mom
Lumie Bodyclock Shine 300
Being a mom requires a lot of energy, which makes a good night's sleep pretty essential. I test tons of sleep gear, from mattresses and sheets to sound machines, but my biggest necessity for a good night's sleep—and waking up without feeling like the walking dead—is a sunrise alarm clock. A sunrise clock will gently rouse you from sleep by slowly brightening over the course of a set time (think 20 or 30 minutes) and playing gentle music once it's brightened. The best ones also have a bedtime routine, letting be lulled to sleep by a dimming light and sounds of your choice. There are a lot of great sunrise alarms out there, but the Lumie Bodyclock Shine 300 is my giftable go-to with its sleek shape, fabric base, bright light you can use as a bedside lamp, and wind-down and wake-up routines. It's not too expensive, either, compared to others that have the same features for more. The only downside is that it only tells military time.
Best for sound: The Hatch Restore 2 ($170) is similar to both Lumie models, but has more sounds and an app to control your routines. I love the Hatch Restore for falling asleep, but it's not quite bright enough to make me wake up like the Lumie sunrise alarms are.
$159 at Amazon
$159 at Lumie

Photograph: Nena Farrell
For the Beach Mom
Mission Outdoor Cassi Beach Tote
The weather is warming up, and we're already heading to the beach where I live. The best beach bag I've tried is the Mission Outdoor Cassi tote, which was inspired by the Bogg Bag but is easier to store with a taller, slimmer design instead of the boxy style. The result is a stylish waterproof bag that's easy to clean, easy on the eyes, and fits all kinds of beach gear. I often have three towels, my 2-year-old's and my water bottles, a couple of dry bags of outfit changes and swim diapers, plus some snacks and my hip pack. There's a single built-in pocket to keep a smartphone safe and dry from the ground, and a key hook.
$69 at Amazon
$69 at Mission Outdoor
Photograph: Medea Giordano
For the Skin Care Mom
Dr. Dennis Gross SpectraLite FaceWare Pro
If your mom is worried about anything from acne to aging, there's a cool gadget to help with that. LED masks are all the rage these days, and our favorite ones pack both a red light mode to fight aging and a blue light mode to fight acne. The Dr. Dennis Gross DRx SpectraLite Faceware Pro is a great choice for moms. Not only does it combine both treatments into one, letting you treat both concerns at the same time with this combination mode—most will make you do one and then the other—but also the SpectraLite's treatments are only three minutes, whereas most others will require 10 minutes. As a mom, any chance you can take better care of yourself and do things quickly is the best combo you could hope for. It's one of the more comfortable masks we've tested, too.
$455 at Nordstrom
$455 at Amazon
$455 at Sephora

Photograph: Stakt
For the Stretchy Moms
Stakt The Stakt Mat
Or, perhaps, the moms who wish to be stretchy, especially if they're battling achy knees and joints while in yoga class. The Stakt Mat is a stacking mat (thus the name!) that folds up easily to create more support where you need it, and it’s easy to clean the mat up after class. I love double folding for extra knee support in flexibility class, but the mat feels like an extra firm yoga block, keeping the feeling of the hard floor away from my sensitive knees even if I don't fold the mat over. It's an impressive twist on a yoga mat, and one I'm recommending to all my mom friends.
$88 at Nordstrom
$88 at Stakt
Photograph: Nena Farrell
For the Organized Mom
Plum Paper Custom Notepads
Show Mom how much you appreciate the way her organized brain works (after all, it's what makes so many things happen, like groceries and summer camp sign-ups) with these cute, customized notepads from Plum Paper. Plum Paper makes our favorite paper planner, but you can get a pint-sized version of the same customization with these fun little daily to-do lists. The Daisy Notepad ($11) gives you a couple different boxes you can label and a top-three section, while the Making Moves ($11) gives you two long sections for those never-ending to-do lists. There's also teacher-themed options if Mom's a teacher, and more simple single-list ones you can add her name to.
Buy at Plum Paper (All Notepads)
$11 at Plum Paper (Daisy)
$11 at Plum Paper (Making Moves)
$11 at Plum Paper (Today's Agenda)

Photograph: Nena Farrell
For the Analog Mom
Printique Photo Album
If a mom in your life always wishes she had more physical photographs but doesn't have the time to print or organize them, Printique's beautiful photo albums are a perfect solution. I finally printed my wedding photos from three years ago (oops!) with a Printique book, and it has made me so happy to finally have these photos somewhere I can pull off the shelf and enjoy. Printique's program is easy to use. It connects to Google Photos to pull pictures you might want to add and has tons of layouts that you can just plug pictures into. I did the new silk album, which gives it a silky cover, and there's other options like velvet and leather. It's a great gift to give, and I'm hoping to be gifted many more of these with phases of my family together.
$185 at Printique (Silk Album)
$185 at Printique (Leather Album)
$222 at Printique (Velvet Album)
Photograph: Art of Tea
For the Tea-Loving Mom
Art of Tea Colored Glass Tea Cup
Does 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.
$16 at Art of Tea

Photograph: Nena Farrell
For the Camera Mom
Camp Snap Digital Camera
If your mom or mom friend laments that she'd like to be on her phone less but doesn't want to miss out on any photo moments, then the adorable Camp Snap is the perfect solution. This fun digital camera takes digital photos that feel straight out of the 2000s, allowing her to go phone-free without missing a chance to take a photo. The Camp Snap comes in a ton of cute colors and can hold up to 2,000 photos on the preinstalled memory card. It comes with an included USB-C cable to download the photos onto your computer, but it has no screen on the device itself, so she gets to take her photos without getting distracted double-checking the results. Plus, some colors can ship immediately, making it a great last-minute gift.
$65 at Camp Snap
$65 at Urban Outfitters
Photograph: Casper
For the Cozy Mom
Casper Snoozewear Blanket Robe
Some of us are always cold. (We've got a guide for that!) Some of us are often cold but don't want to be too warm either and struggle to stay warm enough without getting sweaty. Well, if you're like that, so am I, and I have our perfect accessory: the Casper Snoozewear Blanket. It looks like a down comforter, but it's shaped like a very oversized house coat (with pockets!) that you can wrap around you and wear as you wander around the house, lay on the couch, or huddle in the office pestering your husband for another cup of tea. I love it since it leaves my legs to stay cool but keeps me just warm enough with my upper body nice and wrapped up. The leg-free design makes it easy for me to move around without needing to shed my cozy layer. Plus, I get to feel like a giant marshmallow.
$169 at Casper

Photograph: Nena Farrell
For the Blowout Mom
Drybar The Double Shot Oval Blow-Dryer Brush
If she loves a good blowout, I can't recommend the Drybar Double Shot enough. Every time I use this blow-dry brush to dry my hair, I get the most compliments—my friends can tell when I use the Drybar compared to other blow-dry brushes that leave me a little frizzier. It's powerful and lightweight and has three heat levels (cool, low, and high) that you control on the base of the brush.
If she loves a blowout some days but wants to diffuse her curls other days, I recommend the Beachwaver Blow Dry Set ($190), which comes with multiple attachments, including a blow-dry brush and a diffuser. It's incredibly lightweight and comes in a cute pink shade.
$155 at Nordstrom
$155 at Sephora
$155 at Ulta
Photograph: Chipolo
For the Scatterbrained Mom
Chipolo Card Spot
Is 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. It can even tell me when I've left my purse in the parking lot when I'm at the dance studio only a few doors away. The Spot 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.
~~$29~~ $24 at Amazon
$24 at Chipolo

Photograph: Birthdate Co.
For the Astrology Mom
Birthdate Co. The Birthday Candle
I 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.
$49 at Amazon
$55 at Birthdate Co.
Photograph: Nena Farrell
For the Photo-Crazy Mom
Aura Walden 15-Inch Frame
If Mom has takes too many photos she could ever enjoy, get her an Aura frame she can watch them on whenever she likes. The Aura app makes it easy to quickly upload photos from your camera roll or Google Photos, and it'll let her know if she's already uploaded that photo, too. Aura makes several digital photo frames, but I liked using the Walden because the 15-inch screen makes it easy to enjoy the photos from across a large room. It's also thinner than other digital photo frames, and comes with the option to wall mount it or place it on a tabletop.
~~$299~~ $263 at Amazon
$299 at Aura

Photograph: 7AM
For the Stroller-Era Mom
7AM Enfant Stroller Organizer
After 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.
$65 at Bloomingdale's
$65 at Babylist
$65 at 7AM Enfant
Photograph: Papier
For the Chef Mom
Papier Recipe Journal
While 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.
$32 at Amazon
$38 at Papier

Photograph: Amazon
For the Bath-Bomb Mom
Umbra Aquala Bathtub Caddy
I 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.
~~$42~~ $39 at Amazon
Photograph: Nemo
For the Outdoorsy Mom
Nemo Equipment Helio Pressure Shower
When I think about a portable shower, I immediately lose myself in fantasy by thinking about how amazing it would be to go to the beach and rinse off my family without sand migrating all over the car and everyone bitching about how itchy they are for the entire drive home. Several WIRED surfers already own Nemo’s version, which packs down to fit in the trunk, is easy to refill, stands on its own feet, and has an 11-liter capacity, which is enough for a five- to seven-minute hands-free shower. It’s also black, so you can fill it and let it sit in the sun to warm up if you’re feeling very bougie, or you can rinse off dogs, paddleboards, or whatever else has gotten completely disgusting. (Everything. The answer is everything.) It also has a lifetime warranty. —Adrienne So
~~$130~~ $90 at Amazon
~~$130~~ $65 at REI

Photograph: Calpak Travel
For the Travel Mom
Calpak Clear Cosmetics Cases
Calpak'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 Bags.
$95 at Calpak (Large)
$85 at Calpak (Medium)
$75 at Calpak (Small)
Photograph: Nena Farrell
For the Nerdy Mom
Crow & Crown D&D Character Journal
If your mom loves to roll dice and watch Critical Role, do I have the gift for her. One of the most precious and unique gifts I've gotten in recent years was 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. The Bag of Holding Tote ($20) is also just begging to be gifted.
$11 at Crow & Crown

Photograph: Nena Farrell
For the Stoner Era Mom
Nowadays Cannabis Infused Beverage
If Mom's looking to get a little more relaxed these days with the help of some THC, my go-to has become Nowadays THC spirit. Not only does it taste great, with a light, sweet profile that sits somewhere in between a floral gin and a fruity sake, but it's infused with either 2, 5, or 10 milligrams of THC (per 1.5 ounces), depending on which bottle you buy. I chose the 2-mg Micro Dose option, and it's been fun to bring to parties to mix into a drink and be able to enjoy a couple of cocktails before the buzz kicks in. It's great on its own or mixed with seltzer like a gin and tonic. I can't recommend it enough if you're looking for something to help you relax.
$40 at Nowadays (Micro Dose, 2MG THC)
$60 at Nowadays (Low Dose, 5MG THC)
$80 at Nowadays (High Dose, 10MG THC)

Nena Farrell is a writer and reviewer at WIRED. She primarily covers home and sleep products, smart home tech, gift guides, and parenting gear. She’s been a reviewer at WIRED since 2023, and before that was a smart home updates writer at The New York Times’ Wirecutter and an associate ... Read more

Writer and Reviewer

TopicsShopping gift guides gifts parenting Mom

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