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A Dazzling Dozen: Celebrate Your Grad With These 12 Top Tech Gifts

 & Eric Griffith Senior Editor, Features
 & K. Thor Jensen Contributing Writer
Our Experts
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This graduation season is a big one for me personally, as both of my kids are finishing high school in 2026. Their future paths fill me with both hope and anxiety, but my responsibility now is making sure they enter into the next phase of their young lives well-equipped. Graduation gifts can be an effective way to make that happen.

For this grad gift guide, I checked in with PCMag's other product experts to find out what they'd recommend for the new crop of high school and college grads, and they delivered. We've got everything from the new budget-minded MacBook to party-forward Bluetooth speakers, a fitness-oriented smartwatch, and a high-tech mug that keeps coffee hot.

We even spotlight some software subscriptions that will help in both higher education and the corporate world. If you want a more PC-focused list of giving suggestions, check out our guide to the Best Laptops for Each Type of Graduate.

For the Privacy-Seeking Grad

Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen)

4.0 Excellent

One of the most important skills to learn in school is how to carve out some undisturbed space to work on your assignments, and a good pair of over-ear headphones can serve as a visual signifier that you don't want to be disturbed. We gave the Bose QuietComfort Ultras an "Excellent" rating in our review, noting that they deliver rich, satisfying audio with good bass response while blocking out ambient noise. Battery life tested at 30 hours on a single charge.

Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen) review

For the Caffeine-Dependent Grad

Ember Smart Mug 2

If your grad has grown coffee-dependent, help them keep it piping hot with the Ember 2 smart mug. This clever cup uses precise sensors and internal heating elements to keep whatever beverage it contains at the perfect temperature all day. It can keep a drink at 120°F to 145°F for 80 minutes on battery power, or indefinitely when docked to its charging coaster. Encouraging fewer trips to the coffee shop is a good way to help them budget for their future.

For The Fitness-Focused Grad

Samsung Galaxy Watch FE

4.0 Excellent

Samsung's Galaxy Watch FE takes almost everything we love about its flagship wearable and packs it into a budget-friendly but stylish casing. In our review, we gave it an Editors' Choice award for its accurate biometric sensors that measure ECG, SpO2, body fat percentage, and more, along with great sleep tracking and a massive app selection. This smartwatch gives your new grad a robust suite of tools to optimize their workouts and stay connected.

Samsung Galaxy Watch FE review

For the Note-Taking Grad

Remarkable 2

3.5 Good

Scientific research shows that handwriting notes is key to creating strong neural pathways for understanding and remembering. That's why the ReMarkable 2 tablet is on this list. The large-screen eInk device has low latency and great responsiveness, letting you annotate, sketch, highlight, and more. An optional subscription unlocks even more features, including cloud storage syncing, OCR handwriting-to-rich-text conversion, and more.

Remarkable 2 review

For the Power Typist Grad

Corsair K65 Plus Wireless 75% Hot-Swappable Mechanical Keyboard

There's nothing that beats the tactile feedback and satisfying sound of a mechanical keyboard. We raved about the Corsair K65 Plus in our review, saying that the compact but spacious unit felt solid, was magnificently responsive, and boasted stunning RGB effects. Connectivity is also a strong point with this one; it features some of the most seamless macOS integration we've seen on a third-party keyboard. Throw in hot-swappable switches, and you've got a grad gift-worthy keyboard.

For the Sleepyhead Grad

Amazon Echo Glow

3.5 Good

The Echo Glow nightlight is more than just a soft source of illumination. With access to the Alexa virtual assistant, you can set schedules, customize your light profile, and interface with a galaxy of compatible smart home devices. It doesn't have an onboard speaker or microphone, so you need to use a phone or other device to talk to it, but it's a charming little lamp with a lot of attractive features. And if it does ward off the monsters under the bed, so much the better.

Amazon Echo Glow review

For the Apple-Loving Grad on a Budget

Apple MacBook Neo

4.5 Outstanding

Apple's MacBook has been the laptop of choice for college students thanks to its impeccable styling, ease of use, and unbeatable cool factor. The recently released MacBook Neo takes everything you love about the MacBook and drastically reduces the price. With the best screen we've ever seen in a budget laptop, a great webcam, and a long battery life, it's a top pick for grads.

Apple MacBook Neo review

For the Life of the Party Grad

Beats Pill (2024)

4.0 Excellent

When it comes to portable Bluetooth speakers, the Beats Pill is the best in class, with powerful bass response, angled speakers for broad spatial audio, and an IP67 waterproof build that can handle depths of up to a meter of fresh water for up to 30 minutes. Battery life and charging speed are also exceptional, with just 10 minutes plugged in giving you a full hour of playtime, and a full charge giving you 24 hours. Most importantly, the sound quality is great.

Beats Pill (2024) review

For the On-the-Go Grad

Anker 313 Wireless Charger

This generation of grads is more connected to their phones than ever before, and if hunting for plugs and adapters drives yours crazy, this magnetic Anker charger is the solution. With wireless charging compatible with any Qi-certified device, it's as easy as setting the phone down on the stand. With 10-watt high-speed charging for Samsung Galaxy phones and 7.5-watt charging for iPhones, it's versatile as well, and even charges through most phone cases. The angled stand lets your grad doomscroll while it's refueling.

For the Transcribing Grad

Otter

4.5 Outstanding

There are a few AI transcription services on the market right now, and we're most impressed by Otter, which takes your audio and not only gives you clean, editable copy but also accurate summaries that highlight key points and action items. We gave it an Editors' Choice award, praising the top-notch user experience on every platform, including dedicated mobile apps. There's a very capable free tier, but the Pro version is on sale for 50% off right now, at just $8.33 a month.

Otter review

For Absent-Minded Grads

Apple AirTag (2nd Generation): Tracker for Keychain, Wallet, and More; Locator with Sound; Simple One-Tap Setup with iPh

4.5 Outstanding

In the transitional period between graduation and what's next, it's easy to lose things. That's why Apple's AirTags are among our most frequently gifted items. The compact little disks piggyback on Apple's massive Find My network to ping your connected devices, with precise turn-by-turn directions and a surprisingly loud alarm noise you can trigger from your phone or Apple Watch. The battery lasts a full year, and it's easy to replace if needed.

Apple AirTag (2nd Generation): Tracker for Keychain, Wallet, and More; Locator with Sound; Simple One-Tap Setup with iPh review

For Grads Who Want to Keep Learning

MasterClass

4.5 Outstanding

Learning doesn't stop after the final bell rings, and if your grad isn't sure what they want to do with the rest of their life, MasterClass can give them some ideas. We consider this the top online learning service on the market because its faculty is composed of creative and technical elites at the top of their game, from Martin Scorsese to Tony Hawk. Pricing is also extremely fair, with just $10 a month getting you access to all of its content without restriction.

MasterClass review

About Our Experts

Eric Griffith

Eric Griffith

Senior Editor, Features

My Experience

I've been writing about computers, the internet, and technology professionally since 1992, more than half of that time with PCMag. I arrived at the end of the print era of PC Magazine as a senior writer. I served for a time as managing editor of business coverage before settling back into the features team for the last decade and a half. I write features on all tech topics, plus I handle several special projects, including the Readers' Choice and Business Choice surveys and yearly coverage of the Best ISPs and Best Gaming ISPs, Best Products of the Year, and Best Brands (plus the Best Brands for Tech Support, Longevity, and Reliability).

I started in tech publishing right out of college, writing and editing stories about hardware and development tools. I migrated to software and hardware coverage for families, and I spent several years exclusively writing about the then-burgeoning technology called Wi-Fi. I was on the founding staff of several magazines, including Windows Sources, FamilyPC, and Access Internet Magazine. All of which are now defunct, and it's not my fault. I have freelanced for publications as diverse as Sony Style, Playboy.com, and Flux. I got my degree at Ithaca College in, of all things, television/radio. But I minored in writing so I'd have a future.

In my long-lost free time, I wrote some novels, a couple of which are not just on my hard drive: BETA TEST ("an unusually lighthearted apocalyptic tale," according to Publishers' Weekly) and a YA book called KALI: THE GHOSTING OF SEPULCHER BAY. Go get them on Kindle.

I work from my home in Ithaca, NY, and did it long before pandemics made it cool.

The Technology I Use

My first computer was a Laser 128, an Apple II-compatible clone with an integrated keyboard, matched with an eye-straining monochrome green monitor. I used it to type papers in college for other people for money...until I discovered the Mac SE in the college computer room. That changed my life. My first cellphone was a Samsung Uproar—the silver one with the built-in MP3 player from the Napster days (the pre-iPod era).

I use an iPhone 15 Pro hourly and an iPad Air infrequently (but I'm always in the market for a cheap Android tablet). I have a PlayStation 5 just to play Spider-Man, and several Windows machines, including a work-issued Lenovo ThinkPad. I talk to Alexa and Siri all day long. I do the majority of my computing on a 15-inch LG Gram laptop attached to a Thunderbolt hub to run a multi-monitor setup—I overdid it on the power needed to simply work from home.

I'm most at home in Microsoft Word after decades of writing there. More and more, I turn to services like Google Docs, using tools like Grammarly. I use Google's Chrome browser due to an addiction to several extensions I think I can't live without, but probably could. I use Excel extensively on data-intensive stories, but for chart creation, we've switched over entirely to using Infogram for interactive features that are hard to find elsewhere. I do a lot of graphics work for my stories, but limit myself to the free and amazing Paint.NET software to edit images.

I'm a firm evangelist for using the cloud for backup and syncing of files; I'm primarily using Dropbox, which has never failed me, but I also have redundant setups on Microsoft OneDrive, plus extra picture backups on Amazon Photos and iCloud. Why take chances? For entertainment, mine is a streaming-only household—my kid has never seen network TV and barely been exposed to commercials, thanks to Roku and Amazon Music. The house is peppered with smart speakers from Amazon for instant gratification and control of smart home devices like multiple Wyze cameras and Nest Protect smoke detectors. I've got accounts on all the major social networks, to my horror. I have a robot vacuum for each floor of the house. I want a 3D printer, but not sure what I'd use it for.

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K. Thor Jensen

K. Thor Jensen

Contributing Writer

K. Thor Jensen is a writer and cartoonist living in the Pacific Northwest. He has contributed to dozens of prestigious outlets, including PCMag, Tested, Clickhole, and Newsweek. His second graphic novel, <em>Cloud Stories</em>, was released in 2017.

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