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Ambient Lighting for Their New Home
Nanoleaf Shapes Triangles Smarter Kit
Sharper Culinary Skills
Ninja 8-Inch Chef’s Knife
An All-Purpose Bag
Rains Backpack Mini
An Electric Bike
Propella 7-Speed (V4.0)
Securing a degree is always worth celebrating, but the past few graduating classes have overcome more than the standard all-nighters and strict professors. After dealing with an ongoing pandemic, remote learning, and the rising prices of everything from food to fuel, the graduates of 2023 have succeeded against all odds. It may feel tough to find a gift that perfectly summarizes how proud of them you are, but we’ve compiled a list that might help. There are gifts for their first grown-up job, a move to a new city, or some well-deserved summer relaxation as they plot their next adventure.
Check out our other buying guides, like the Best Laptop Bags, Best Electric Scooters, Best Ebikes, and Best Cheap Headphones.
Updated May 2023: We replaced older recommendations with new ones, including kitchen essentials and loungewear.
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Photograph: Nanoleaf
Ambient Lighting for Their New Home
Nanoleaf Shapes Triangles Smarter Kit
Smart light panels are great for setting the vibe. Our top pick, the Nanoleaf Triangles, can be rearranged to create all sorts of shapes. There are tons of color combinations and modes—for example, a party-friendly setting that’ll pulse the lights to the beat of music, or a daylight setting to get grads through short winter days. Nanoleaf has tons of other designs that we like, like the Nanoleaf Lines, so feel free to peruse its offerings.
Photograph: Ninja
Sharper Culinary Skills
Ninja 8-Inch Chef’s Knife
A good kitchen knife can make a world of difference when cooking. It might seem like a boring gift, but your grad will silently thank you for it every time they prep a meal. This pick from Ninja is a great general-purpose knife. It’s easy to hold and use, and it has wonderful edge retention.
You can find additional recommendations in our Best Chef Knives guide. Our Essential Pots and Pans and Best Gear for Small Kitchens guides may also be helpful.
Photograph: Rains
An All-Purpose Bag
Rains Backpack Mini
Rains’ Backpack Mini is the most stylish pick in our Best Laptop Backpacks guide. It’s available in a wide range of colors, and the 8.5-liter capacity offers enough room to stash a laptop as well as accessories, chargers, and other odds and ends. The elegant design will ensure your college grad won’t look like a kid when they commute to their new grown-up job—or that your high school grad won’t look like a kid when they head to college classes. (There’s also a large version if they tend to pack a lot.)
If the recipient prefers purses, we like the Cuyana System Tote ($278), which you can read more about in our Best Laptop Totes and Purses guide.
Photograph: Propella
An Electric Bike
Propella 7-Speed (V4.0)
After another year of testing electric bikes, we’ve kept Propella’s bike at the top of our list as the best affordable commuter ebike. For a bike that’s outfitted with a motor and battery, Propella’s is relatively light. WIRED reviewer Parker Hall says it’s a delightful ride, and it comes with comfy extras like a suspension seat post. Moreover, it ships direct to the consumer, so you don’t have to interface with a dealer for assembly. It will let your new grad cover much more distance than they ever believed possible.
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