22 coolest Christmas gift ideas for tricky teenagers

I guarantee this is a gift that will make any teenage girl squeal with joy on Christmas morning. It’s pricey so it definitely falls into the luxury birthday gift category, but it’s worth every penny. I’ve personally tried this hairdryer and it really does deliver - it dries hair incredibly fast and leaves it super soft and shiny.

This best-selling backpack has cool Scandi design vibes and is as durable as they come. With a 16L capacity, it has plenty of room for all the essentials and it’s made of long-lasting, water-repellant fabric. It comes in a rainbow of colours to suit all tastes if the plain black is too boring. The backpack features top carry handles, adjustable shoulder straps, two side pockets, and a zipped front pouch. It's finished with the brand label sewn on the front. A definite good Christmas gift idea for teens that'll they'll be sure to love

Nichaela George, HELLO! Online's Social Video Producer, says: “Whether your teen needs a cup that keeps up with the amount they drink or need a cup to make drinking more water more convenient, the Stanley range will make it possible - all while looking trendy! This cult classic is perfect for your teens every day, in class, or hanging with friends. 

"I'm a big Stanley fan - For me, having this personal-sized 40oz water bottle means I'm refilling less and always have a chilled drink. The handle and FlowState lid makes it easier to travel with and the lightweight stainless steel tumble’s vacuum installation keeps my drinks cold for 11 hours."

A good bicycle is by far the best present you can get for a tween/teen, and if they fall into the 10-14 age bracket, I can’t recommend the Woom Now 6 enough. It was really easy to assemble out of the box, with all the necessary tools included (it just needed the tires pumped up and we were good to go). 

My almost-12-year-old says it’s ‘the best bike I’ve ever ridden, by far’ - he loves the fact that the lights go on automatically when he peddles (no need to worry about changing batteries) and the collapsable rack at the front is the perfect place to store his school bag during the school run, plus it’s so easy to buckle the strap (my kid struggles to tie his shoelaces but had no problem with this). 

The bike’s stability is also top-notch. My son is the most clumsy kid on the planet, but he hasn’t fallen off once - the smaller front wheel of the Woom Now makes it much easier to balance, even when the bike is stacked with a heavy load.

Other plus points include the mesh bag on the centre of the bike frame - which is great for carrying smaller loose items lik snacks and keys - and the twist-activated bell, which is much easier for young riders to activate than a thumb-operated model. The hydraulic disk brakes stopped the bike instantly and smoothly, and the 8-speed gears were easy enough to switch between. Probably the best feature for my forgetful son however is the magic kickstand - which automatically pops up if he hops on the bike and starts pedalling away.

Just in case you didn’t know - retro stuff is cool in teenland these days. Especially if it has a modern twist. So you can bet your life that this vinyl record player would go down a treat!. It features dynamic, full-range steo speakers, is bluetooth compatible and is housed in soft velvet briefcase, which makes it portable too. Use t to play vinyl LPs: 33 ⅓, 45 and 78 RPM.

US shoppers can find a very similar model at Amazon for $84.95, which is 14% off the RRP.

Despite being ‘more of a Fortnite person’ our teen tester loved the new Zelda game, which (after a short intro playing as Link) has you set off on an adventure as Princess Zelda. It has “great graphics, amazing gameplay and cute characters” according to our gamer, who also loved the novel idea of being able to create ‘echoes’ of objects to help you navigate obstacles and the way that once enemies are defeated, you can summon them to help you fight battles in the future. All of this is thanks to a little floating friend named Tri who accompanies you through the game. 

My nearly eight-year-old daughter also asked to try it after seeing her cousin playing, so now we have two new Zelda fans in the family. This is a great game to gift if you have a teen with a Switch to buy for. It’s full of puzzles that will actually get their brains working overtime. And if you need it in a hurry, you can purchase a digital download code from the Nintendo shop here.

Remember back in the day when having a ghetto blaster pumping out the tunes made you the coolest kid on the street? Well, the TRIBIT StormBox Blast 2 200W Bluetooth Speaker is basically the modern dy version of that. When our teen tester saw it they proclaimed it “sick” before they’d even had a chance to try it out. 

It’s an extra powerful 200W Bluetooth speaker that once changed, has an incredible 30 hours play time and 32 LED lights that sync to the beats. It’s also water resistant and it can be used as a power bank to charge smart devices. There’s even a karaoke function! Our tester’s verdict: “It’s the ultimate party speaker - it’d be perfect for pool parties or taking it in the garden, and everyone would love the fact you can charge your phone on it. The most annoying thing at parties is everyone asking for a phone charger - this solves it.” Apparently, the bass sounds excellent too and the 80W subwoofer, 30W midwoofers and 15W tweeters got a massive thumbs-up.

Christian Anderson-Ramshall, HELLO! Head of Channels, says: "At Christmas, we all love something to dig our teeth into, or keep the kids suitably entertained - and above all quiet. We've found these two LEGO Star Wars sets to do just that, but also satisfy the boredom of those bigger kids within your household.

"Slightly larger than your average set, this replica of R2-D2 and an Interceptor were our favourites of the range. Featuring exquisite details, even the most hardcore Star Wars aficionado will be impressed. Most importantly of all, you won't be shy of letting the kids show these marvels off on your mantlepiece. If you refuse? Well, may the force be with you."

If your teen loves Fortnite (or any other shoot-em-up game) they’ll love the Gel Blaster. This cool gun is great for real-life adrenaline-fuelled battles, and you don’t need to worry about them getting hurt or making a massive mess. The gun is loaded with gellets - water-based, non-toxic, non-staining and non-irritating ammo that explodes on impact. The SURGE gun has two modes - Single Shot for honing precision and training plus Fully Automatic - which blats out ten gellet a second for obliterating the competition. The gun comes with 10,000 gellets - enough for plenty of epic battles.

If you want to get your teen away from screens and interested in chess, this AI-powered smart chess board with colour-coded coaching lights and an online learning app should do it! It has three play modes so they can play face-to-face with family members and friends, alone in AI mode with 32 levels of difficulty to choose from or online against opponents all over the world through popular chess platforms like Lichess and Chess.com. 

Chess is such a fantastic game and this great gift makes it cool! What I love about it is it’s great for absolute beginners and it’s small and thin enough to be easily packed up and taken anywhere.

This is a novelty gift that’s purely for the lolz - but it couldn’t be more perfect! Teenacetamol - Moodbiotics Capsules, for rapid relief from Stroppyteenacitis. If only they really worked! In reality they’re just a pack of jelly beans, but the box is pure comedy gold - it’s full of hilarious dosage instructions and side effects “Warning: May increase desire to be nice to your family” and there’s even a realistic-looking pharmacy label you can personalise with the “patient’s” name. Genius.

The problem with most console games is that teens are slumped on the sofa or hunched over a computer playing them. Not this one! The GoBalance Play, a smart wobble balance board, gets them up and moving - and sneaks in exercise without them even realising! Just connect it to any Android or IOS device with Bluetooth and download the free app to play games like snowboarding and mini golf. Gaming nights will be a lot more fun - and a lot more active!

Teens love to experiment with their look so this hair chalk set will go down a treat - and you can breathe easy knowing they’re temporary. They’re non-toxic and non-allergenic and you get 10 bright and vibrant colours in each pack. They’re extremely popular on Amazon, where they have almost 19k positive reviews.

If you’ve got a supercar fan in the family, this is a dream come true gift. The lucky recipient will get to choose from one of 15 supercars (including a super-sleek Lamborghini or a supersonic Audi R8) for a three-mile driving session after a training session from a seasoned pro. To top it all off, once they’ve finished their drive, they get to be the passenger, as they’re given a white-knuckle ride with one of the seasoned pros. Wow! The experience is available for youngsters aged 10-16 at 20 different locations across the UK.

This is a really unique gift idea for teen girls - and the end photos will no doubt be something both mother and daughter treasure forever! It’s really good value - you get a consultation followed by hair and makeup and a one-hour portrait session. Then you arrange a separate viewing day to see all your images and pick your favourite to be printed. You can also purchase any additional images from the session.

Looking for the Ultimate gift for your Potterhead teen? We’ve found it, you’re welcome! Players choose a house, spin the spinner and take the corresponding movie card which they have one minute to answer. Answer correctly and you keep the card - and you need one from each movie to win. Your teens might just have to binge-watch all the movies to get a refresher!

The gift of positivity - it’s a meaningful gift for teenagers that you can’t lose with. There are 365 positive quotes and affirmations - one for every single day of the year in this colourful flipbook. It will definitely help them start the day on the right note!

This would look lovely on your teen girl’s bathroom shelf or bedside table - and help her keep all her makeup organised. And the extra special touch is the hidden message concealed on the inside of the bag. Absolutely adorable!

If there’s one thing that teens love to eat, it’s snacks. They’ll be delighted with this personalised snack bowl - great for games nights or movie sessions, it can be personalised with the text of your choice and comes in two different sizes. It’s made of durable enamel too - so there’s no danger of it being broken it it’s dropped. Phew!

If you’re stuck for gift ideas, you can’t go wrong with this Teen Girl Pamper kit. There’s everything inside she’ll need for a self-care session, including: A fluffy sleep mask; Galaxy cookie crumble; a facial sheet mask; a hot chocolate sachet; Parma violet sweets; love heart sweets; heart socks; nail file; pink tea light; lip gloss and sweet popcorn.

Whether your teen is crazy for Fortnite or more partial to a bit of GTA, this is the perfect companion to ensure those long gaming sessions are as comfy as can be  - plus it’s super stylish, honestly one of the coolest gifts for teens out there. It’s compatible with both PS4 and PS5 consoles and features a powerful 2.0 headrest-mounted audio system for a fully immersive experience.

If there’s one thing teen girls have plenty of, it’s jewellery. This gorgeous jewellery stand will help her keep it all organised and there’s even a mirror handily worked into the design. There are plenty of hooks and hangers and the stone-effect resin base - which features a pretty pink, orange and blue terrazzo pattern - also has a padded underside to protect surfaces.