The 36 best Christmas gifts in the UK for every kind of teenager – chosen by teens

Because there is no doubt your teen thinks they know better than you, we took them at their word and asked what they think makes the perfect gift for Christmas (or other religious festival they celebrate).To ensure the selection was truly tried and tested, we asked them only about presents they have already received, love and use constantly. We also made sure to ask a broad range of teens – from book lovers to tech fiends and plenty in between – to try to represent the myriad tastes of this age group.The best Christmas gifts for teens in 2026Lego loversLego retro roller skate£18.74 at John Lewis£18.74 at AmazonLego keeps you entertained for a long time. You can keep coming back to it, take it apart and rebuild it, and it’s really good to collect. Anon, 14Lego Technic Lamborghini Huracán£40 at Argos£39.99 at AmazonI love my Lego Lamborghini Huracán; the fun I had making the car is the real joy of it, plus putting it on display after hours of hard work is the best feeling, especially when friends see it. I think any kid my age who likes cars would absolutely love this for Christmas. I now have my eyes on the new Lego Formula One models. Ayush, 15BookwormsBoys of Tommen series by Chloe Walsh, six-book collection set£44.99 at Books2Door£49.99 at AmazonI’ve loved the Boys of Tommen book series. They’re addictive and emotional. I loved reading from all of the characters’ perspectives. Isabella, 16Arc of a Scythe Series, four-book collection set£14.99 at Books2Door£14.20 at AmazonThe Arc of a Scythe series by Neal Shusterman is perfect for fans of the Hunger Games and Divergent – it’s thrilling and impossible to put down once you’re immersed in the author’s dystopian world. Matilda, 13The Heroes of Olympus: the complete five-book collection set£16.77 at AmazonMy favourites are the Heroes of Olympus books by Rick Riordan – entertaining, great for learning Greek mythology and particularly good for reluctant readers! Alisha, 14A Natural History of Dragons: A Memoir by Lady Trent£9.99 at the Guardian Bookshop£9.99 at WaterstonesI’ve been reading A Natural History of Dragons. It’s an interesting and well-written book that takes itself semi-seriously and is full of humour mixed with interesting speculative biology of dragons. It’s also, I think, accurate to the actual time period (outside the existence of dragons) and has a female lead! Solly, 18Games and techSony WH-CH520 Bluetooth headphones£29.99 at John Lewis£29.99 at ArgosTecknet RGB gaming keyboard£31.99 at Tecknet£19.99 at AmazonI love my Sony wireless Bluetooth headphones; I’ve had them for several years and still use them all the time. I like listening to music (like Ed Sheeran) and think they would make a good gift for people my age who love music. I also love the light-up keyboard for my computer; it’s really cool. I like gaming with it and showing it to my mates. James, 14Pokémon TCG: Mega Evolution – Pitch Black£41.99 at Debenhams£42.85 at AmazonI love this game. It’s not just whether you get anything good or not, it’s the surprise when you open them. With this, you get four packs and an extra 40 cards, so it’s good value. Ted, 13Hy-Pro Fifa World Cup 2026 size 5 PVC football£10 at ArgosBose SoundLink Flex (2nd gen)£93 at A1 Tech Deals£149.95 at John LewisNineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell£8.49 at the Guardian Bookshop£7.59 at AmazonMy favourite things are my football – you don’t need any other fancy equipment, and you can play on your own as well as with friends – and my Bose SoundLink Flex portable speaker. I also recommend Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell – it’s an amazingly interesting book that I think everyone should read. Stan, 14Pokémon Brilliant Diamond for Nintendo Switch£49.99 at Argos£42.95 at AmazonI think people my age would definitely like this Nintendo Switch game, Pokémon Brilliant Diamond. You can get cool Pokémon and don’t need to upgrade to a Switch 2 – the game is available secondhand [for a more affordable] price too. Nathan, 13SteelSeries Sensei Pro wireless gaming mouse£169 at Currys£169 at AmazonThe SteelSeries Sensei Pro wireless gaming mouse is really good. Good polling rate [a test to see how fast and accurate a mouse is], two batteries and a dock. It doesn’t get interrupted by other devices, plus it’s lightweight. Dan, 16Canon PowerShot SX160IS, refurbished model£129 at AmazonVarious prices at eBayBrother LS14s manual stitch sewing machine£89 at Argos£99 at AmazonI love my Canon PowerShot digital camera. I like to go to concerts and take pictures and videos – I can be in the moment. If I use my phone, I get distracted. I also love making things with my sewing machine. I recently altered an Alessi Rose top because only large sizes were left, and they were too big. I got them both secondhand as I’m really into recycling and reusing. Freya, 16Music loversBeats Solo 4 Bluetooth headphones£199.95 at John Lewis£199 at AmazonI recommend Beats’ headphones. These are so comfortable, and the sound quality is amazing. Aoife, 13Yamaha PSR-E383 portable keyboard for beginners£159 at Gear4music£159 at AmazonI really like my Yamaha keyboard and think it’s something many teenagers would enjoy, especially for composing their own music. Ria, 14skip past newsletter promotionafter newsletter promotionViolator by Depeche Mode, Legacy vinyl edition£22.99 at TG Jones£31.99 at HMVPolaroid Go Gen 2 instant camera set£64.99 at Currys£94.99 at PolaroidI love old vinyl, like Gary Numan and Depeche Mode. The sound quality and artwork are much better than streaming. I like my Polaroid camera too – I can make instant memories that feel more special than saving a picture on my phone. Martha, 14Beauty and fashion fansElf power grip primer, 24ml£11 at Elf£9 at AmazonByoma barrier boosting beginners set£32.37 at Boots£35.97 at Cult BeautyThe Elf Power Grip primer is one of my favourite products. I usually find all of my favourite products through TikTok videos, and everyone loves this one. It’s lightweight enough for someone who has just started wearing makeup, and I think it’s perfect for teen skin. Honestly, anything from Elf makes a perfect gift; I got a selection of products for my birthday, and there’s still so many I want to try.I usually ask for Byoma as a gift too. I think it’s one of the best skincare brands out there for teenagers. I love how it’s designed for layering, and it’s easy to use. I think for teens, it’s easy to feel confused about skincare or accidentally buy something more suited to older skin (like retinol), but it feels like Byoma allows us to start our skincare journey safely, with a brand that is still trending and fun. Inaaya, 15Remington HydraLuxe hot airstyler£49.99 at BootsI love my Remington hot brush. It’s easy to use, cheap and gives good results. Sophia, 16Ugg Classic ultra mini bootFrom £104.99 at John Lewis£155 at UggI love Uggs as they keep your feet warm but also are very comfy – you can wear them with almost any outfit. Rosie, 13Adidas Adizero Evo SL running shoes, men’s£109.99 at Sports Direct£129.99 at Sports ShoesWomen’s£89.50 at Very £116.99 at Pro DirectApple AirPods Max 2 headphones£499 at John Lewis£499 at ArgosI love my Adidas Adizero Evo SL trainers because they are extra cushioned and great on a run, and my Apple AirPods Max 2 headphones, which have great noise cancelling when I’m listening to my favourite music. Tom, 17Nocturnl Bubble hoodie£55 at NocturnlI wear my Bubble hoodie loads. It’s unisex teen-designed streetwear that can be worn all year round. Dylan, 1540,000 bedazzling kit£12.49 at AmazonA bedazzling kit, with the crystals, glue and tweezers you need to bedazzle just about anything. It’s creative, versatile and challenging but without being too difficult. I’ve bedazzled Uno cards, a lip gloss and my Sol de Janeiro bottle! Émie, 14Warmies luxury steel grey boots£31.99 at WarmiesWarmies slippers: I always get cold feet and can pop these in the microwave to warm up in 1min 3secs per foot! When they heat up, they smell of lavender, which is lovely. Georgia, 13Social Ladder card game£6 at John Lewis£3.50 at AmazonMontirex Trail windbreaker, men’s£34.99 at MontirexWomen’sFrom £27.99 at MontirexAfnan Perfumes Supremacy discovery set£10.10 at NotinoI love my Montirex Trail windbreaker – it looks smart, is light enough to stuff in your bag, and is great for running and everyday. Fragrances are popular at the moment, and a set with lots of different scents means you can try several out at once to find your favourite. I also like Social Ladder – a really fun, portable game that helps you connect with your friends. Sammy, 14Jellycat Amuseables Horatio Pistachio£20 at Jellycat£20 at ScribblerErborian Must-Haves set£38.50 at Lookfantastic£38.50 at AmazonAnua starter kit£38 at Lookfantastic£38 at Cult BeautyBenefit Get Rollin’ Roller Lash mascara makeup gift set£22.40 at John Lewis£28 at SephoraI love Korean skincare products from Erborian and Anua, and Benefit mascara too. I also always have a Jellycat – I’ve collected them for years. Poppy, 17Rhiannon Evans is a journalist and editor who’s covered everything from news and entertainment to lifestyle and parenting for some of the UK’s best titles (and some others too). She’s rarely out of leopard print, and can usually be found attempting to wrangle her kids, garden or copy into some kind of orderFor more, check out the best gifts for kids by age, the best Christmas gifts for mums and the best Christmas gifts for dadsChristmas shopping can be tough, but the Filter is here to help. We’ve been testing Christmas presents all year to help you find thoughtful, creative and genuinely brilliant gifts for everyone on your list. Browse our other gift guides for hundreds more tried-and-tested ideas, from gifts you can make yourself to toys for every age group.Explore Christmas gifts