The Best Gifts for 21-Year-Olds, According to a Gen-Z Expert

Photo-Illustration: The Strategist; Photos: Retailers
Given the notoriety of 21st birthdays, one might think that finding the perfect gift would be easy. You could buy them their first legal drink or a nice set of cocktail glasses (of which we have many to recommend). But as the Strategist’s resident Gen-Z expert, I’m here to tell you that there’s more to 21st birthdays than alcohol. Whether they’re in their junior year of college or living on their own for the first time, many 21-year-olds will appreciate simple luxuries they probably can’t afford, like a statusy alarm clock or a speaker they can use when they host friends. Below, I included plenty of the little luxuries I’ve heard about from the college students I interview all year long, along with a few booze-forward gifts I’ve learned about since my own 21st birthday — after all, it wouldn’t be a gift guide for 21-year-olds without those.
For the daughter who’s on EmbroideryTok
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$68
Abbode’s shoe-box-size storefront in Nolita draws consistent lines of tourists and locals hoping to buy a custom embroidered waffle pouch or tank top. If you’d rather not wait on line, there are also ready-to-order pouches like this one for the birthday girl who’s excited to say, “Cheers!”
For the budding bartender
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If they’re planning to become their friend group’s new on-call bartender, this cocktail shaker from OXO combines three tools they’ll need: the shaker, jigger, and strainer. After I got one for my brother when he turned 21, he became a bartender at his college bar. (I’m not saying I was the inspiration, but I’m not not saying it …)
For the sorority sister with a summer internship in New York
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While a North Face Borealis is the typical backpack of choice among lowerclassmen, many college students upgrade to a shoulder bag later on. Longchamp’s Le Pliage is among the most popular.
For the son who’s finally moving into a single
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Hatch Restore 3
$145
$170 now 15% off
$145
Hatch’s sunrise alarm clock may have been the status gift for teens this holiday season, but it’s popular among college students too. “Having a roommate with a really annoying alarm is frustrating, and this wakes you up so calmly and gently,” Lucy Harris, a student at the University of North Carolina Wilmington, says. “If my roommate had this alarm going off, I would not be mad.”
For the student who basically sleeps on the green
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$120
“Spikeball nets are a huge commodity to have on campus,” says Boulder, Colorado, student Sean Fleck, who plays the game in his spare time. This pro version has a sturdier frame that will move less when hit by a strong ball.
For the daughter who can tell you the difference between a mimosa and a Bellini
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When my boyfriend turned 21 while we were in college, I went the book route and got him this encyclopedia of cocktails. He has since used it as inspiration for stirring up cocktails with cognac and Campari.
For the son who dreams of Burgundy
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$22
I also got him this wine-tasting book, which quickly paid off (as in, I can always trust him to pick a good bottle of wine).
For the fledgling content creator
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When I was reviewing Lola’s faux-fur blankets, my sister was earnestly plotting how she could sneak it back to college. While she didn’t succeed, I’m sure she — and any other college student in need of a snuggly present — would appreciate its impossibly soft, chinchilla-like fur. (Before you check out, though, don’t forget to check social media for discount codes; influencers often post them.)
For the friend who makes a new playlist for every party
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Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 4
$80
$100 now 20% off
$80
While most college students don’t get a required supplies list like you would in elementary and middle school, a hypothetical required dorm supply kit would most certainly include a Bluetooth speaker. We’ve been recommending the Wonderboom for its sound quality and affordability for years.
For the newest patron of the local dispensary
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Blazy Susan Cones, 50 Count
$18
$22 now 18% off
$18
What better way to celebrate their first legal trip to the dispensary than with some prewrapped pink cones?
For the friend with a lucky lighter
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While you’ll find your handcrafted lighter cases at Susan Alexandra and Edie Parker, this one is a subtle yet sleek option for their favorite lighter.
For the roommate who needs their beauty sleep
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I’ll say it once and I’ll say it again: I have yet to find a better sleep mask than this silk one from Drowsy. (And I’ve tested over a dozen sleep masks for our guide.) It blocks out light, has an adjustable strap, and is made of mulberry silk, one of the most high-end types of silk available.
For the friend with a CBK obsession
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$10
I’m of the opinion that many tortoiseshell prints lean too khaki colored, too splotchy, or too crackled. But if you’re looking for the perfect accessory to that Charles Wahba headband the 21-year-old in your life just picked up at C.O. Bigelow, I think this phone case gets the tortoiseshell formula just right.
For the roommate who’s always dehydrated
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HydroJug is the newest competitor in the status-water-bottle fight, according to Casey Lewis, who writes the newsletter After School. The Gen-Zers say it’s spillproof and available in tons of cute colors and patterns.
For the brother who drinks three cups of coffee a day
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Compared to a $6 cappuccino, Nespresso’s sub-$2 pods are a budget-saver and a time-saver. My go-to is the Dolce double espresso pod, which has notes of caramel and malted cereal. (I pair it with some chocolate fèves when I want a mocha.)
For the sister with a ten-step skin-care routine
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After using Shark’s CyroGlow mask for a few months, even our writer Dominique Pariso’s father noticed a difference: “‘Your skin looks really good. You don’t have your usual, you know,’ he said, gesturing vaguely at the side of my face where my zits usually are,” she writes. (And for what it’s worth, it’s a hit with the TikTok girls too.)
For the friend who’s studying in Spain
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From $225
In the wise words of our travel writer, Katherine Gillespie, “The Cotopaxi Allpa is truly a backpack for suitcase people.” It fully unzips to reveal a large mesh compartment on the right-hand side and two smaller ones on the left, meaning it’s perfect for those personal-item-only travel-abroad weekends.
For the fraternity brother who travels personal-item-only
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$18
She also recommends this tiny dental kit that “comes with a tiny tube of the best-tasting toothpaste out there.” (European pastries are no excuse for cavities upon their homecoming!)
For the daughter with a taste for Lambrusco
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Wine Bags for Travel
$10
$11 now 9% off
$10
Whenever I travel somewhere known for its wine — most recently Paris and the Loire Valley — I bring home a few bottles in these insulated wine bags. Though they’re designed to catch any spills should a bottle break, I’ve been safe so far.
For the budget traveler
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Travelrest All-in-One Neck & Body Pillow
$40
$50 now 20% off
$40
If their budget only allows a middle seat, this travel pillow will give them something to lean their head against (other than, say, a disgruntled seatmate).
For the friend who’s already worried about wrinkles …
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As Jennifer Garner once said, “Nothing looks better in your 50s than sunscreen in your 20s.” Here’s our longtime favorite, which is hydrating and noncomedogenic.
… And the one who wants a year-round glow
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Tan-Luxe The Face Illuminating Self-Tan Drops
$50
$55 now 9% off
$50
University of South Carolina Beaufort’s Kylie Brennan and Barnard College’s Evie Komninakas both have self-tanners on the brain. “You get really pale and sickly in the winter,” Komninakas says, so she and her roommate share these drops.
For the sister with a Corepower membership …
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Oura Ring 4
From $399
From $399
If I had to guess, I’d say the fitness- and sleep-metric-tracking Oura rings are giving class rings a run for their money (literally). Even Jennifer Aniston can’t live without one: “With my workouts, it’s great because it tracks them, and that just encourages you to keep going,” she told us.
… And the roommate who spends more time at the gym than at home
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Hyperice Hypervolt 2 Pro
$299
$349 now 14% off
$299
What better way to entice more rest days than with an expert-recommended massage gun? “The Hypervolt Pro 2’s motor creates a smooth hum as it operates, especially on its lowest setting, which is already quite powerful,” says our writer Brenley Goertzen, who named it the very best.
For the daughter with a lip-balm bowl
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When you’re living off intern money, your beauty products need to pull their weight. Since this gloss-slash-balm does double duty — “It has incredible longevity and a little exfoliation too,” says our beauty writer Tembe Denton-Hurst — it shouldn’t hurt too much come restock time.
For the expert scent stacker
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If they already have their signature scent picked out, you might consider gifting them a hair perfume to stack it with. This one has citrus-floral notes of orange blossom and musk. (And, no, hair perfumes really aren’t regular perfumes; there’s less alcohol, making them less drying.)
For the host friend
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$31 for 4
$40 now 23% off
Libbey is the gold standard of affordable cocktail glasses. The ideal style will depend on the person you’re shopping for, but each of these glasses have a stamp of approval from bartenders and, for the margarita glasses, Hailee Steinfeld.
For the girlfriend with an espresso martini addiction …
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Cheeky Espresso Syrup
From $9
From $9
According to our senior kitchen and dining writer, Emma Wartzman, “Cheeky sources beans from Brooklyn’s Café Integral and bottles a well-balanced, just-slightly-sweet mixer that, when shaken with vodka and ice, produces a drink as well balanced and smooth as any bartender could make.” (Meaning you won’t need to buy them that Nespresso machine above, too.)
… And the boyfriend who always orders a spritz
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Jack Rudy Cocktail Co. Elderflower Tonic
$45 for 2
$45 for 2
This elderflower-tonic syrup comes recommended by Jeremy Mustakas, the director of restaurants for ABC, who says it’ll add a bright, floral dimension to your cocktails. All you will need is the prosecco.
For the friend who prefers Campari to Aperol
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Via Carota Classic Negroni
From $29
From $29
Wartzman also recommends these premixed negronis from Via Carota. As she says, “Just chill, pour, and drink.”
For the best dressed brother at the frat parties
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Should they now fancy themself a “flask person,” this titanium one can store up to five ounces of their (newly) preferred liquor.
For the latest adherent of “Wine Wednesdays”
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Yeti Rambler Wine Chiller
From $75
From $75
Sure, college dorms are made for Barefoot Wine and Bota boxes, but a nice real bottle of wine works too. This nondescript wine chiller will require no pre-chilling or additional ice to keep their bottle of Sauvignon Blanc cool.
For the person hosting a tropical 21st-birthday party
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Ninja SLUSHi – 88 Oz.
From $300
$350 now 14% off
From $300
Where else but at college can you throw parties with frozen margaritas every weekend? This frozen drink machine works for just about anything else, too: “I’ve thrown all manner of drinks at it — mango juice, tomato juice and vodka, cold brew, a whole bottle of wine — and so far, it’s all worked,” says Strategist contributor Margaret Eby.
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The Best Gifts for 21-Year-Olds, According to a Gen-Z Expert