The 42 Best Gifts for Mom

From Tokyo to New York City, Paris-based Maison Ladurée is renowned for its impeccable macarons. With the Ladurée Eugénie Gift Box, it offers an original cookie-confection hybrid. Inside each Eugénie is a crumbly shortbread slathered with a sweet spread in a variety of bright, sharply defined flavors, such as yuzu, salted caramel, or pistachio. They are then sheathed in shatteringly thin chocolate (many are pastel-hued) and embossed with the brand’s “L.” Kitchen editor Gabriella Gershenson was enchanted with the masterful, delectable constructions. “They look like confections out of Alice in Wonderland,” said Gabriella. “Between the texture, the freshness, and the vivid flavors, they are transporting.” Moms with a penchant for sweets or tea-time fripperies will be equally charmed. Just be aware that shipping will bump up the cost a bit.

Whether your mom has a vast kitchen island in the burbs, a cramped city apartment, or cluttered countertops in the country, she’ll appreciate the shrewdly designed Emile Henry French Ceramic Fruit Storage Bowl. The suave, dual-storage vessel holds potatoes, onions, and garlic in its cool, dark ceramic bottom, which is punctuated with three air circulation holes. And the moisture-absorbing cork lid top displays fruit, like pears and bananas, that may need more air and light. Made in Marcigny, France, the stately bowl comes in two sizes (the 14-inch-wide shallow and the 10-inch-wide deep) and several elegant colors.

It’s no secret that Wirecutters are big Baggu boosters. And the Cargo Shoulder Bag is a stylishly sporty option for cool moms on the go. The 11-inch-long, baguette-style purse is made with durable, heavyweight nylon and has two exterior pockets with magnetic closures plus a zippered interior one for safe storage. Among the print options, we especially love the collaboration with the New York-based fashion line Collina Strada. The blurry Berry Berry Chrysanthemum prints, evoking a high-end tie-dye, is from its 2023 “Got Milkweed” collection, recently on view in the The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Sleeping Beauties exhibit (which the Style and Gifts teams saw together on the Wirecutter retreat).

More than mere wooden spoons, the tools from Jonathan’s Spoons are artisanal keepsakes for those who love to cook. Handmade in rural Kempton, Pennsylvania, the 12-inch Jonathan's Spoons Spootle is crafted from wild cherry wood and has a jaunty tilted head, all the easier for stirring. Its flat head aids in scraping the bottom of the pot, and its divot makes it easy to scoop and serve. One neat customization: You can choose a right- or left-handed handle.

Made from a combination of 80% organic cotton and 20% recycled fleece, the durable, dependable Roots Organic Original Sweatpant has a loyalist following for those in the know (Canadians). The super-soft joggers feature a drawstring waist, elasticated cuffs, and two pockets. The core collection includes five dark colors, and they rotate in cheerful seasonal hues, like dragonfruit pink and light mint green. Active and lounging moms alike will revel in their coziness, flattering fit, and endurance through many, many washes.

This heirloom-quality servingware will shine at dinner parties and bring a touch of elegance to even simple butter-lettuce salads. Each Santa Fe Stoneworks Salad Set features an inlay handle of either dreamy mother of pearl or glossy jet amber, with a slash of another stone, like the copper-dappled blue azurite or streaky dark-green malachite, in its middle. With rounded, stainless steel heads, the 10-inch-long serving fork and spoon have a nice, balanced heft. While they cost a pretty penny, staff writer Mari Uyehara gave her own mother and father a set more than a decade ago, and they’ve used them weekly ever since—an excellent ROI.

While a flower bouquet may fade in a week (if you’re lucky), a well-made wreath will last through the season. Grown on a family-owned, 20-acre farm in Greenfield, California, the Creekside Farms Dried French Herb Wreath arrives fresh, dries in one to two weeks, and lasts a few months. Fragrant herbs like lavender, thyme, and sage are tucked into a lush, 16-inch-diameter base ring. It’ll make your mom’s door the envy of the block, or at least a lovely reminder of her doting offspring every time she returns home.

If your mom loves baking cakes or just buying them, the Fortessa Hobnail Glass Cake Stand will elevate her serving game. Made with durable soda-lime glass, the stand is dishwasher-safe, and it comes in two sizes (8.5- and 11-inch diameters) and three colors. Its hobnail (raised knobs) design, meant to emulate the beading style of vintage Parisian glass objects, beautifully catches light.

Forget snake plants and carnation bouquets. Mom is deserving of more sophisticated flora. The pest-resistant Fast Growing Trees Meyer Lemon Tree produces sweet-smelling blossoms and fruit, whether she grows it indoors in a planter or outdoors (depending on her plant hardiness zone). Due to agricultural restrictions on shipping citrus, the tree is not available for shipment to certain states (check the sidebar), and the company does not ship it to cold-weather states in the winter. We also love the Arbequina Olive Tree for its lovely, long leaves and dignified silhouette. And it ships to almost every state.

These aren’t your mother’s pearls (those boring, bulbous, and ubiquitous orbs of yore), but they would look great on her wrist. Hand-strung with the teensy cultured gems, the delicate Mociun Seed Pearl Bracelet—made by one of Brooklyn’s coolest jewelers—looks decidedly modern. The bracelet comes in two lengths (6¼ or 7 inches) attached with a 14-karat gold ring closure and four versatile colors: light pink, classic white, lavender, or iridescent, multi-colored peacock.

There are plenty of upscale Nutella imitators, but the delectable Il Colle del Gusto Granellona Crunchy Chocolate Hazelnut Spread is a true standout. With 42% hazelnut content, the glossy spread is made with roasted Italian nuts, vanilla, and earthy cocoa (which delivers a deep, complex chocolate flavor). The wild-card ingredient is extra-virgin olive oil, which lends a subtle fruitiness to the nutty chocolate mix. Your mom can spread it on biscotti, bananas, or baguette slices. Gifts writer Mari Uyehara shamelessly eats it with a spoon straight out of the jar—a convenience any mom might appreciate.

Popular with hospital and restaurant workers for long shifts, the Calzuro Classic Clogs have inner sole bumps (to aid circulation) and anti-slip, ridged bottoms. These shoes are also a fashionable favorite among urban dwellers, for their fantastic colors, like lipstick red, royal blue, and a bright teal. Constructed with a rubber compound that can withstand an autoclave (a sterilizing steam machine), the clogs are both machine-washable (up to 194 ℉) and dishwasher-safe (if that doesn’t skeeve out your mom). They also come in a version with ventilating holes on top. These clogs are, however, known to run small, so try ordering a size up to start.

Celebrate your mom’s birthday (or those of her children) with the GLDN Aura Pendant Necklace. The necklace includes one tiny, 3-millimeter pendant in her choice of 13 stones, such as rubies, sage peridots, and midnight sapphires. You can add more birthstone pendants, for a slight additional cost, now or later as her family grows. The necklace is available in two different lengths (or a custom size) and sterling silver or gold vermeil. If you want to spring for solid gold, GLDN offers a 10-karat option, and there are also solo birthstone pendants, if your mom already has a favored gold chain. If she’d be more inclined toward initials, we also love the similar GLDN Personalized Lor Necklace, which sports petite, 9-millimeter discs, available in your choice of characters in different fonts.

The beautiful, little Alabaster Swivel Box, which measures just 4.75 inches wide, has two swiveling compartments for sundry trinkets. Mom could use it for stylishly storing safety pins, loose change, or extra keys on a desk or side table. Or she could use it as an accent piece for a few special pieces of jewelry on her dresser. As aesthetically pleasing as it is practical, the Italian-made box’s soft mineral rock features unique veining and eye-catching mottling.

Giving Mom a robe is usually a frumpy and thoughtless cliché—as immortalized on Saturday Night Live’s “Christmas Morning” sketch. Not so with the Skin Sierra Robe. Made with quilted, 100% cotton jersey, the super-soft robe has a long, detachable waist belt and chic wide lapels, which provide a quiet-luxury aura. Available in five soft colors, this robe conveniently has extra-deep pockets, with plenty of room to store a phone or even a book. She surely won’t feel like an afterthought when wrapped up in this swank housecoat.

Even if your mother isn’t a naturalist, the Rose Sola Cube, made by Japanese botanical company Usagi no Nedoko, offers a compelling view of nature. In clear acrylic resin, the 1.6-inch cube suspends a peak-bloom, deep-red-petaled flower as if floating in light. Each cube contains a unique specimen, and there are also other Sola Cube options, like an airy white dandelion puff, a sweet pink straw flower, and a sun-yellow immortelle. Mom can display the floral beauty on a side table, desk, or bookshelf—with no dead bouquets to wrangle into the trash or swampy vases to clean a week later.

Nécessaire’s The Body Wash is so fancy that there’s an accent in its name, and it comes in an extremely chic bottle. The gentle gel cleanser is a hydrating, non-stripping rinse, purportedly due to its niacinamide content, along with vitamins C and E, and cacay, marula, and meadowfoam oils. Compared with most bar soaps, which have pH levels that are so high they disrupt the skin’s natural barrier, this body wash has a more-skin-like pH, between 5.5 and 6.5. You can choose from eucalyptus, santal, or hinoki scents, or go fragrance-free if your mom is on the sensitive side.

The Scandles Heirloom Tomato Candle is made with essential oils to smell like tomato leaves (which it really does!), and it is a dead ringer for something from a farmers market table. It’s made by pouring 100% natural soy wax and then molded by hand, so there are natural variations among them. A safety note: This candle is meant to be decorative, so, like any candle that comes sans container, it should be placed on a heatproof dish if you light it.

Silk pillowcases absorb less product from your skin and create less friction than their cotton counterparts, so they are a favorite item of beauty-conscious sleepers. Moms who live in dry climates and those with curly locks may particularly appreciate what a smoother night’s sleep can do for their skin and hair. Our top choice for the category is the Lilysilk 25 Momme Oxford Envelope Luxury Pillowcase. It’s made with 6A mulberry silk, the highest grade, and has a luxurious 750 thread count. The instructions suggest hand-laundering only, and senior editor Jen Hunter has had great success regularly washing her pillowcase with Soak detergent.

The 3¾-inch-tall Heath Ceramics Bud Vase is a timeless classic, designed in the 1980s by Edith Heath, the late, legendary American studio potter who co-founded Heath Ceramics with her husband, Brian. Choose from either solid colors or subtle patterns (the company regularly changes them). Moms with an eye for artisanal beauty will appreciate that it can spark joy in any small corner, with or without a few blooms.

Big-ticket luxuries (a fancy dinner, sparkly jewelry) are splashy. Yet everyday ones (good tea, a plush robe) might do more to tilt the proverbial quality-of-life scale. Case in point: If your dear mother is still wielding an old drugstore comb after showering, you can do her the favor of introducing the wide-toothed and durable Yves Durif Comb. Handmade in Italy from cream-hued resin, this elegant comb is anti-static, and it works to detangle and style all hair types. With architecturally tapered teeth, it is a pleasure to hold and behold.

Our Selves: Photographs by Women Artists is the companion book to the groundbreaking 2022 Museum of Modern Art exhibition, and it includes over a century of photography, ranging in forms from advertising to social documentary. With striking images captured by iconic as well as lesser-known artists, this collection explores how photography is used in socio-political movements, such as queer liberation and civil rights. Interspersed with 13 thought-provoking essays, the silver tome may also spark conversations around the coffee table, instead of simply sitting on it.

As comfortable as a robe but with a bit more sartorial flair, Naadam’s The Original Cashmere Sweater makes a gorgeous gift. During our testing, we were happy to discover that this sweater felt luxuriously soft—despite its reasonable price. It comes in a bunch of colors and a wide range of sizes, so it can work for postpartum mothers and empty nesters alike.

The Scarf Shop Cotton Giant Scarf measures 54 by 108 inches—larger than a twin mattress! So it can act as a statement piece/neck warmer or, when called upon, a picnic blanket, a sunshade, a nursing cover, or even an emergency towel. These gauzy cotton scarves are extremely soft and come in a ton of hand-dyed colors. Most importantly, they’re machine-washable. But you should note that because they’re handmade, shipping can take a few weeks.

If your mom has even a glimmer of Stevie Nicks energy, she’ll love sashaying around in Silkandmore’s Cotton Kaftan—the boho answer to the house dress. This breezy, one-size-fits-most kaftan’s construction is relatively simple: a rectangle of fabric with a reinforced V-neck, interior drawstring waist, kimono-like sleeves, and subtle side slits. It’s handmade in India of mulmul cotton (a fine, flowy fabric that gets softer with washing). Staff writer Samantha Schoech said she finds the longer, ankle-length kaftan more versatile, but there’s also a knee-length version. She wears hers as a beach cover-up, a nightgown, and even a sundress (she owns three, so one is always laundered and ready to wear).

Give the gift of good hair days in a few seconds flat with this excellent accessory. The Day Rate Beauty Petite Power Pin comes in nearly a dozen sizes, and there are 11 colors to choose from, so they can blend in with or stand out against any hair color. Supervising editor Hannah Morrill reports that just one 5.5-inch pin (in prosecco) is enough to tame her thick, medium-length hair. She says the technique takes a little practice, but the end result is more elegant than her go-to “mom bun.”

Whether the mom you adore is at work on her next masterpiece or just the parent tasked with keeping everyone’s schedule straight, she’ll likely appreciate a lovely and personal notebook. The Papier Notebook has a two-tone hardback cover, and you can choose the colors. It also includes 96 pages of lined, plain, or bullet-dotted paper to house her musings, keen observations, and grocery lists. You can monogram the front cover so everyone knows it’s hers. Or you could give it a boring label, like “Taxes,” so no one will bother to read it.

Cloth napkins can transform even the most mundane meal into a fancy-feeling affair. There’s one problem—most become marred with unsightly stains after just a few dinners. That’s why June & December’s Wild Pretties Napkins are such a find. They are preshrunk and machine-washable; it’s even safe to iron and bleach them, which supervising editor Hannah Morrill said she’s done without any fading. And each screen-printed flour-sack cotton napkin is reversible, with two illustrations (wild carrot and alfalfa, dandelion and clover sprig).

Depending on how deep in the mom trenches your recipient happens to be, her own sleepwear is likely the last thing on her mind. Change that up by giving her one of Heirloom Art Co.’s White Cotton Nightgowns. The flowy, Victorian-style offerings are just right for glamorously streaming Netflix after the kids go to bed. They’re perfect for waltzing around in the wee hours of the morning like a modern-day Jane Austen heroine. And they’re great under a cardigan when you need to hop in the car to do a school drop-off. These versatile gowns are sheer but not see-through, and they come in a number of lengths and sleeve options to suit your mom’s style.

We’ve tried countless great coffee subscriptions, but for the caffeine-craving mama with a global palate, your best bet is the Atlas Coffee Club. Each delivery hails from a different country, many of which are less-customary coffee destinations, such as India and Nicaragua. Atlas works directly with local farmers, so bean production can get creative; one recent project lauded by supervising editor Ben Keough used anaerobic fermentation to extract more-unusual flavors from an uncommon Indian coffee. You can choose whether to send a 12-ounce bag monthly or bimonthly, and each one arrives with a postcard featuring trivia about that country’s coffee industry. Your mom can choose her preferred roast and grind specifications.

If your mom would prefer working out in the yard untethered by earbuds, or if she just needs a way to bring some jazz to a picnic, a portable Bluetooth speaker is the perfect gadget. Our favorite is the Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 4, which offers clear, full sound and is nearly unbreakable (it survived a 5-foot drop, no problem). And this model is small, so it’s easy to take on any journey. If that journey is just to the shower, this speaker is also waterproof.

With all the comfort of an oversize tee but exuding a far cuter aesthetic, the Eberjey Gisele PJ Set was among our absolute favorites from testing. After wearing these jersey pajamas for over three years, our staff tester reports that they still fit properly and feel soft, showing only minimal wear. The set offers several mix-and-match options for the tops and bottoms (you can choose short sleeves or long, with either shorts or pants). And these PJs come in more than a dozen pretty colors to suit any mom on your list.

Every mom deserves a luxurious self-care moment, and the Kate McLeod Daily Stone Solid Moisturizer will elevate your own mom’s game. The solid lotion “body stone” softens on contact with skin to dispense an elegant-smelling formula of cocoa butter with almond, apricot, avocado, and coconut oils. Supervising editor Daniela Gorny credits the set with keeping her skin soft, even in the California desert she calls home.

Many moms know the struggle of trying to finish a cup of coffee in one sitting. But yours shouldn’t have to settle for a lukewarm brew. Enter the Ember Mug 2. Of the mug warmers we tested, this model was the most portable because its heat source is battery-powered and built into the base, rather than being a plug-in hot plate. Mom can adjust the temperature of her java using the Ember app on her smartphone. The mug cannot go in the dishwasher, so it’s best for those who don’t mind hand-washing.

The mom in your life deserves—nay, needs—a warm pair of slippers to travel around the house in style. Get her the lightweight, breathable Glerups Wool Slippers Open Heel, among the best we’ve ever tested. Made from just one piece of felt, they’re less prone to splitting or degradation than other felted-wool slippers. And they’re easy to slide on and off, so your mom won’t have to bend down. For the mom with consistently chilly ankles, Glerups also makes felted Wool Slipper Boots. Both are also available in rubber-soled versions, which can be worn inside and outside the house.

A digital photo frame can serve as a direct link between you and your mom, allowing you to send new photos right to her mantle, no matter how far away she lives. The Aura Carver, one of our favorite digital photo frames, is easy to set up, and it has a sharp, vivid display. Also, it works seamlessly on Android and iOS through a proprietary app. Simply upload your photos through the app (this makes Aura especially good for documenting Little League triumphs and other fleeting-but-important moments you’d like to share), and they’ll show up in the frame. One tip: After you get the frame, start contributing photos, so when your mom opens the package and powers up the Aura, the snaps will be ready and waiting.

For the mom who likes spending time in the backyard or on the patio, a portable fire pit will help extend her outdoors time well into the evening. One of our favorites is the Solo Stove Bonfire 2.0, which, when operated correctly, burns wood with almost no detectable smoke. The airflow created by the stove’s double-walled design intensifies the heat of the fire, so it’s more efficient and less smoky.

The Kikkerland Solar-Powered Rainbow Maker will add some magic to any space. Just suction it to a window, and when the sun hits the solar battery, the crystals will start to rotate, refracting sunlight around the room and transforming it into a rainbow wonderland. To see it in action, check out this video.

Affordable and understated, Danique Jewelry’s Minimalistic Birthstones Bracelet features a dainty silver or gold chain, and it comes in several lengths to perfectly fit the recipient’s wrist. You can get the bracelet with just one gem (maybe her birthstone, or perhaps a stone in her favorite color) or several. If you don’t know your mom’s wrist size, you may be able to figure it out by measuring a bracelet or watch she already owns.

Whether the mom in your life is a toast devotee or a baker who enjoys using scrumptious ingredients, chances are good she’ll love receiving a beautiful bundle of jams. The We Love Jam Gift Box includes a customizable assortment. And it’s one of our favorite gift-basket ideas, thanks to the high-quality jams and the pretty packaging.

We love finding gifts that are unusual, thoughtful, and well vetted. See even more gift ideas we recommend.

Dorie Chevlen contributed reporting. This article was edited by Hannah Morrill and Jennifer Hunter.