Popular Practical Graduation Gifts in 2025

Can we stop pretending anyone wants an “inspirational” paperweight? I’ve never seen one on a desk. Every grad I talk to just wants stuff that makes life less annoying. If you can throw it in your bag, load it on your phone, or drag it to your first apartment, it’s a win.

Everyday Essentials Every Grad Needs

Still can’t believe nobody buys their own blanket until they freeze on vinyl floors. My cousin says power banks are the best grad gift in 2025, but honestly, a planner with real dates (not just blank pages) beats a motivational poster. Forbes picked the DekoPro Tool Set as the practical winner, but when I gave one as a housewarming, only the screwdriver ever got used—and then it vanished.

Reusable smart notebooks? My engineer roommate writes formulas, scans them to his phone, and then leaves the notebook in the fridge. Water bottles—everyone needs one, unless it leaks and ruins your stuff. Rugged phone cases? Always appreciated, except when the phone survives a fall but the stairs don’t.

Tech-Savvy Tools for Modern Graduates

One year, someone gave out USB mini-vacuums—nobody used them, then everyone swapped for smart lamps or anything that didn’t need batteries. Grads want stuff that helps them actually get things done, not random gadgets. Who even has a “misc tech” drawer? The Govee Smart Table Lamp is the only thing my data science friend uses daily—for the light presets, not the colors, because her apartment came with three working bulbs.

Forget calculators—give a grad anything with a clever charger, even an electric screwdriver with USB-C, and they’ll thank you from inside their closet. Last year, The Verge said practical graduation gifts were selling out, and I believe it—my electronics store was out of surge protectors by June. Now tech recruiters ask about data backups, not VR headsets. Go figure.

Practical Gifts for High School Graduates

I can’t get over how much space that extra-long college pillow takes up in a freshman’s suitcase. Is there some secret dorm mattress size nobody tells you about? Picking what to bring (and what parents insist is “essential”) is a battle, and honestly, nobody ever remembers to pack scissors.

Preparing for College Life

So, apparently high school graduation is supposed to be this liberating moment, right? Yeah, no, it’s just a quick hop into a weird shopping spree that everyone insists is “essential for success.” Planners? Ha. Every “practical grad gift” list still pushes those, but honestly, if you’ve met a single Gen Z in your life, you know they’re just going to use their phone calendar and lose the paper planner in a week. Noise-canceling headphones? Sure, those really are a must—every single graduation-gift roundup shoves them to the top, but nobody ever tells you that charger cords just vanish into thin air the second you get to your dorm. Like, why do they disappear so fast? Is there a charger fairy?

And then there’s the stuff nobody brags about but everyone ends up using: collapsible laundry baskets (truly ugly, but you’ll thank yourself), over-the-door hooks, and—seriously—the sacred shower shoes. Did you know the average freshman loses two water bottles their first semester? Not making that up. My cousin’s on her fourth, and it’s not even midterms yet. Some “expert” once said reusable dishes are key to independence. Dramatic, but, okay, try finding a clean fork at midnight and tell me it’s not survival.

Oh, and if you’re wondering why grad photos never feature the “practical” gifts, it’s because nobody wants to pose with a portable safe or a box of detergent. Those get buried under plushies and balloons. If you’re buying something, make it useful after orientation—seriously, grads have enough picture frames to start a gallery.

Dorm Room Must-Haves

Bedsheets for twin XL mattresses—what a scam. They’re scratchy, they shrink, and yet every list says you need two. I mean, who’s laundering sheets every week? Nobody. A decent college pillow can actually save your neck, but good luck finding one that doesn’t cost as much as your meal plan. I started bringing a toolkit, and now everyone borrows it by week three. No exceptions.

String lights? Cute until the batteries die right before finals. Mini fridge? It’s basically a biohazard by Thanksgiving, but also the only place you’ll make friends—bonding over questionable leftovers and whether expired yogurt is “technically” fine. Surge protectors are non-negotiable. Outlets are always in the dumbest spots, and extension cords are apparently illegal in some dorms, so, good luck.

Sometimes I wish I’d gotten more “boring” high school graduation gifts like a coffee maker or a lap desk. (Why is student furniture so useless?) People still talk about blackout curtains and doorstoppers like they’re relics of the golden age. Nobody remembers who gave them a monogrammed mug. By winter break, if it still works and hasn’t been lost or stolen, it’s a win.