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The best gifts to give teen boys in 2021

Teenagers can be a tough audience to impress, but we've got you covered with our lineup of the best gifts for boys.

Lindsey Hunter Lopez
4 min read
$79 at Urban Outfitters
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Dickie's Eisenhower Work Jacket
For the trendsetter
$220 at Best Buy
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Kodak Luma 150 Projector
For the binge-watcher
$25 at Loot Crate
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Loot Crate
For the pop culture king
$30 at Target
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Chance Juicy Basketball
For the baller
$28 at Urban Outfitters
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Baggu 16-inch puffy laptop sleeve
For the stylish student
$165 at Amazon
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Jabra Elite Active 75t
For the music man
$199 at Pottery Barn Teen
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Element Bean Bag Chair
For the lounger
$170 at Amazon
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Everlast Cardio Fitness Training Bag
For the fitness fiend
$32 at Amazon
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Marvel Villainous: Infinite Power
For the Marvel Man

We think that teen boys, who have been essentially stuck at home for the better part of a year, deserve something extra special for their birthday -- or for no special occasion, really. And, hey, if you give him something absorbing, like a 5,000-piece Lego set or an arcade system loaded up with 150 games, maybe you won't be bugged for snacks every few minutes.

Our picks for the best gifts for teen boys aren't all fun and games -- you'll also find practical products to consider, like a laptop sleeve and a quality jacket. This story is updated regularly.

Urban Outfitters

Stylish dudes will love this sturdy Dickie's work jacket for its '90s throwback appeal. And teenage boys who don't care about style? Well, they still need a jacket. Either way, this awesome gift is a great idea. Available in black, charcoal, and navy. 

Amazon

Kodak's pocket-sized projector is a cool gift for a teen boy who loves movies, TV shows, or video games (which is pretty much all teens.) The Luma 150 can project up to 150 inches onto almost any surface. And there's a built-in speaker so no extra equipment is needed.

Loot Crate

Whatever his interests, getting a Loot Crate in the mail is a fun gift idea for any teenager. Loot Crate is a subscription box of cool stuff (figurines, shirts, collectibles, and more) centered on a theme, like anime, gaming, WWE, Star Wars, Marvel, Stranger Things and more. Just pick his interest, select a plan (a one-off gift or a recurring box) and pay. Your teen guy will get a sweet box of goodies. 

target

Chance basketballs just look cool and make a great gift. We love the brand's colorful designs and your teenaged basketball player will love Chance's quality construction. This ball has a great grip, a cushioned touch and style for miles. This basketball makes a great gift for your athletic teen guy and is available in sizes five, six, and seven.

Urban Outfitters

Baggu's puffy laptop sleeves are like a cozy sleeping bag for your teen's computer. This unique gift is a cool way to keep that laptop free from injury and scratches. And with so many kids doing distance learning, laptops are getting a lot more use these days. Baggu's sleeves are made from 40% recycled nylon and come in both solid colors and trendy prints; we're partial to the smiley faces.

David Carnoy/CNET

By now your teenager may have AirPods for day-to-day listening. But what about music when he's working out? Give him a comfy, water-resistant headphones option: Jabra's Elite Active 75t. These true wireless headphones are equally at home with iPhones and Android phones, delivering more than 7 hours of battery life between charges, while the included charging case provides another 21 hours. Even better, noise-canceling has arrived to this wireless headphone option, thanks to a surprise software upgrade that was just made available. We love this in-ear earbuds model because it's rugged enough to withstand teenage use, sweat and all. This awesome gift is available in multiple colors, including mint green, navy blue and sienna.

Read our Jabra Elite Active 75t review.

Pottery Barn Teen

Anyone who knows a teenager knows they like to lie around. Especially now they're housebound due to a global pandemic. It's the bean bag chair's time to shine! Skate brand Element has put their mark on this excellent gift, which features a cargo pocket perfect for reading material (or his Nintendo Switch) and a removable cover for easy cleaning.

Amazon

Improve your teenage guy's at-home workouts with a cardio training bag. This gift idea for a teen boy is a freestanding foam punch bag he can use for boxing or cardio workouts. And parents may want to take a swing, too -- we can all use an outlet right now for pent-up pandemic energy. 

Amazon

Ravensburger's at it again with another high-quality board game. The latest addition to the Villainous series is a Marvel-themed board game version perfect for teenagers. Best for ages 12 and up, each player becomes a notorious Marvel villain: Thanos, Hela, Ultron, Taskmaster, or Killmonger to face off in this fast-paced card game. With this great gift idea your teen will actually want to join family game night for Marvel Villainous: Infinite Power.

More gift ideas