We are a reader-supported site and receive compensation from purchases made through these links. See more about our Privacy and Affiliate policies here.
When your teen lumbers into the family room on Christmas morning, takes their stocking down from the mantle, and looks inside, you might glimpse their little kid self. Here are our favorite stocking stuffers for teens, college students, and young adults.
Stocking stuffers for teens and college students
1. Anker Nano Power Bank (Amazon)
With a built-in lightning connector made specifically for Apple devices, you never run out of battery life again! It operates without a cable and is available in six colors. Compatible with iPhone 14 / 14 Pro / 14 Plus / 14 Pro Max, iPhone 13 and 12 Series. I gave one of these to everyone in my family last Christmas! Here’s the Nano for the newer models of iPhones (16/15 series) that includes a Built-in USB-C Cable and Foldable AC Plug.
2. Ninja Outdoorsman 11-in-1 Stainless Steel Tool (Amazon)
You never really know when you’re going to need a Can or Beer Bottle Opener, Cutting Edge, Flat Screwdriver, Ruler, 4 Position Wrench, Butterfly Screw Wrench, Saw Blade, Direction Ancillary Indication (Water Compass), 2 Position Wrench, Keychain, or lanyard Hole (Amazon.) It fits inside a wallet. Your teen boys will love this!
3. Vgogfly Touch Screen Fleece Gloves (Amazon)
There is great utility in wearing gloves that allow you to text without removing. These unisex fleece gloves are available in several different colors and have been very popular with our readers.
4. Mighty Patch (Amazon)
Hydrocolloid acne patches can be very useful for teens with breakouts. These patches work like a miracle, making the pimple disappear much quicker.
5. Left Center Right (Amazon)
A game is a stocking stuffer idea that your teen will love to open and play with throughout the holidays. Left, Center, Right is a wildly popular game appropriate for all age groups.
6. Bubble Skincare Slam Dunk Face Moisturizer (Amazon)
Pre-teen girls are super into skin care these days and the brand Bubble seems to have become a teen and pre-teen favorite. This is a great product to start them on. Save 12% now.
7. Hair Claw Clip (Amazon)
Hair clips are very popular among teens and college girls for an easy and comfortable way to hold hair up. The long shape of these clips makes them great stocking stuffers.
8. Bracelet Hair Ties (Amazon)
These cute and super practical hair ties can be worn as bracelets when not used. We think this is a genius idea and a significant upgrade from the ordinary elastic bands that never have a particularly polished look.
9. Anker Portable Battery Charger (Amazon)
A portable charger is always helpful on the go. This is one of the slimmest and lightest portable chargers and works with iPhone 15/15 Plus/15 Pro/15 Pro Max/14/14 Pro/Samsung/Pixel/LG.Here’s the newer model for the Anker charger with a built-in USB-C Cable for Travel, Fast Charging Battery Pack for iPhone 16/15 Series, MacBook, Galaxy, iPad, and more.
10. Taco, Goat, Cheese Pizza Card Game (Amazon)
This super-popular card game is easy to learn and can be played in 10-15 minutes. How can anyone pass up this game if only to find out how “taco, goat, cheese pizza” are related???
11. Lineage Lip Sleeping Mask (Amazon)
Rich in Vitamin C and antioxidants, this wildly popular overnight lip treatment leaves lips soft and smooth. Available in berry, grapefruit, vanilla, or apple-lime formulas.
12. Phone Holder for Bike (Amazon)
The Roam phone mount is an incredibly popular small gift or stocking stuffer that any of your bike-riding teens would appreciate.
13. Crazy Aaron’s Liquid Glass Thinking Putty (Amazon)
This might remind your grown-up kid of the silly putty of their childhood. This improbable stretchy “liquid glass” will be a toy and stress reducer. And another one of our most popular items.
14. Rugged and Dapper Lip Balm (Amazon)
A wildly popular lip balm for guys and one of the top stocking stuffers last year.
15. air up® water bottle with flavor pods
The kids love these and will be impressed that you are (aka Santa) are aware of this trendy water bottle.
16. Do Your Laundry, or You’ll Die Alone (Amazon)
We love this slender book of wit and wisdom, written and illustrated by our amazingly-talented friend, Becky Blades, before her eldest daughter left for college. It includes everything you’ll want your teen daughter to know about living her best life away from home and for her mom to coach her along the way.
17. Apple AirTag (Amazon)
This ingenious Apple device will help your teen keep up with their backpack, wallet, gym bag or checked luggage which is very helpful if they have travel in their future.
18. Frother (Amazon)
When your teen finishes their coffee or hot cocoa with this handy frother, they can create a customized hot drink at home rather than heading to Starbucks for a more expensive one. This device’s utility and thin shape make it a great stocking stuffer.
19. Throw Throw Burrito (Amazon)
There are those teens and gown up kids in every family who would rather move than sit and play a card or board game. THIS is for them! Brought to you by the makers of super-popular board game, Exploding Kittens, this is sure to be a favorite stocking stuffer.
20. E.L.F. Putty Primer (Amazon)
Smooth imperfections and help get skin ready for makeup. This very popular teen brand is 100% vegan and cruelty-free.
21. Birdie Personal Alarm (Amazon)
This small alarm can be clipped onto a backpack or keychain and, when activated, has a loud siren and strobe light. The audible alarm can be used multiple times, and the battery for the light is replaceable after 40 continuous hours of use. Available in five colors.
22. Sunatoria Keratin Hair Mask (Amazon)
This unique Keratin formula conditions dry hair with Vitamin E, Omega 3, 9.
23. Casegrace Travel Jewelry Case (Amazon)
This mini jewelry box is the right size for traveling or storing just a few special pieces. Available in six pretty colors. Our readers love this item!!
24. Sol de Janeiro Hair and Body Mist (Amazon)
This wildly popular brand has a selection of hair and body spray fragrances, anyone of which your daughter would love. This one, #62, has hints of pistachio, salted caramel and vanilla.
25. lululemon Skinny Scrunchies (Lululemon)
If your daughter wears her long hair pulled in a ponytail, this 6-pack of scrunchies from lululemon would be a fun surprise in her stocking.
26. Jack Black Lip Balm (Amazon)
We are big fans of these lip balms with an SPF of 25 and an assortment of pleasing scents. This is a wildly popular cosmetics brand for guys (but great for everyone), and they have many other fabulous products and gift sets that are perfect for stocking stuffers.
27. Dino Cell Phone Holder (Amazon)
With this adorable mini dino, your teen will have a space to rest their cell phone to FaceTime with you! They can watch their phones without having to hold them upright. Phones can rest vertically or horizontally, and the dino is available in a dozen colors.
28. Paper Airplane Book (Amazon)
We all remember making paper airplanes out of lined notepaper. Here’s a slender book with 69 planes to fold and send off into the air.
29. Question-a-Day Journal (Amazon)
For your thoughtful teen, this journal will be a way for them to create a record of five years of their lives by answering one question daily.
30. Owala Water Bottle
Literally everyone’s favorite water bottle and the colors are outrageous.
31. Pom Beanie (Amazon)
We love the festive look of this pom beanie and think it would be perfect as a stocking stuffer.
32. Lighted Travel Make Up Mirror (Amazon)
33. Journaling Pens (Amazon)
Discovering a new rainbow pack of pens in a stocking on Christmas morning will be a thrill for any of your artistic teens who love to journal.
34. Little Words Project Bracelets (Little Words)
Friends and family bracelets from Little Words Project will be the thing for those we love the most.
35. Carhartt Cuffed Beanie (Amazon)
These versatile acrylic unisex beanie hats come in dozens of colors and are perfect for keeping in a jacket pocket for those truly frigid days ahead. You never have enough of these.
36. Touchland Hand Sanitizer Spray (Amazon)
Award-winning, light and no heavy smells. I love these elegant hand sanitizers that come in a variety of amazing scents and have one in every bag.
37. The Driving Book for Teens (Amazon)
Author Maureen Stiles helped teach her three sons how to drive and knows what motivated her kids to be careful behind the wheel. This well-researched guide will give them the info they need to help pass the written portion of their driver’s test, learn how to care for a car, and understand how crucial safe driving is.
38. Avocado Slicer (Amazon)
This tool splits, slices, and pits avocados for your avocado-loving teens.
39. Celavi Facial Sheet Masks (Amazon)
Your teen can enjoy a spa day at home with one of these facial sheet face masks.
40. Body Restore Shower Steamers (Amazon)
Breathe in the calm and rinse away the stress. This is the number one product in bath bombs.
41. Hand Warmers (Amazon)
Hand warmers are ideal when it gets extra cold during winter. My hands get soooo cold-and these are just heavenly.
42. Anker 6 Ft Charging Cable (Amazon)
If you have a teen in college (or soon to be going), a long charger cord may be the most useful gift you can give them. They can have their phone plugged in and charging overnight while keeping it close enough to their dorm bed to use as an alarm.
Includes a USB-C to Lightning Cable for iPhone 14 14pro Max 13 Pro 12 11 X XS XR 8 Plus.
43. Burt’s Bees Gift Set (Amazon)
Burt’s Bees is a universally beloved brand, and we think these three products — body lotion, hand cream, and lip balm — are things that anyone would love to receive.
44. Fairy Lights With Photo Clips (Amazon)
Here’s a whimsical way to add illumination to your teen or college student’s room; they can also add some of their favorite photos or cards.
45. Fuzzy Socks (UGG)
These chenille socks by UGG are incredibly soft and come in eight colors. They would be perfect to wear with boots for a toasty warm fit or to pad indoors to avoid that cold floor feeling.
46. Christmas Mad Libs (Amazon)
A traditional crowd-pleaser, cue the hot chocolate and start playing Mad Libs.
47. Makeup Eraser (Amazon)
Your daughter will enjoy having a way to wash her face without leaving a messy and stained towels behind.
48. Spa Terry Cloth Headbands (Amazon)
The headband to wear when you get a facial or wash your face at night.
49. OPI Nail Polish (Amazon)
OPI is one of our favorite nail polish brands, and this duo set of base and topcoat Infinite Shine will extend the life of her manicure during the busy holiday season.
50. Lineage Lip Balm (Amazon)
This luxurious lip balm by popular brand Lineage lightly tints and moisturizes.
51. Selfie Ring Light (Amazon)
Creating better lighting for selfies or FaceTiming will be a breeze with this mini ring light.
52. L’Occitane Hand Cream (Amazon)
We love this hand cream — it is soothing to dry hands in winter and it’s light scent is lovely.
53. Brazilian Bum Bum Cream (Amazon)
Body cream from this very popular brand would make a great stocking stuffer.
54. The Defining Decade (Amazon)
This is THE book to give your young adults to help them understand how important their twenties are. Dr. Meg Jay explains how to make the most of this consequential decade.
55. Shape Shifter (Amazon)
Hours of mind-challenging fun, stimulate the senses with unlimited creative possibility and fits comfortably in your hand. A crowd-pleaser.
56. Urban Decay Vice Lipstick (Amazon)
Love this mini lip balm by Urban Decay. Comes in more than a dozen gorgeous shades.
57. grace & stella Award Winning Under Eye Mask (Amazon)
Very popular under eye therapy!
58. SoL De Janeiro Jet Set (Amazon)
A trio of travel size favorites from Sol de Janiero would thrill you4 teen or young adult who has an upcoming trip planned or someone who would love sample sizes to try out.
59. Neutrogena Makeup Remover Wipes (Amazon)
These are my favorite makeup wipes to use and they would be a very practical stocking stuffer.
60. Dove Body Scrub – Macadamia & Rice Milk (Amazon)
Dove body wash with a wonderful light scent would be a welcome gift especially for those who live in cold climates in the winter. Their skin needs extra TLC.
61. La Roche-Posay Toleriane Double Repair Face Moisturizer (Amazon)
This oil-free face moisturizer would be a luxurious treat to find in your stocking.
62. essence | Lash Princess False Lash Effect Mascara (Amazon)
This is the #1 bestseller in mascara on the Amazon platform.
63. eos Shea Better Body Lotion- Vanilla Cashmere (Amazon)
24-hour body lotion with a dreamy scent of “Vanilla Cashmere” – other fragrance options are also available.
64. Weleda Skin Food Body Cream (Amazon)
This highly-regarded body cream is infused with extracts of rosemary, chamomile, and pansy in a base of sunflower and sweet almond oils.
65. Coach Wristlet (Amazon)
This would be a very festive and popular stocking stuffer for your teen or young adult.
More Ideas From Amazon
66. Slinky
67. Legos
68. Travel-size toothbrush, shampoo, Kleenex, Advil, hand lotion
69. Ornament
70. Card Case
71. Deck of cards, UNO
72. Fruit of the Loom Men’s Underwear
73. Razor blades
74. Beef jerky
75. Toothbrush
76. Hot wheels
77. Phone case
78. Headlamp
79. Stress or Koosh ball
80. Pens and Pencils
81. Laundry stain stick
82. Gloves, mittens
83. Measuring spoons, kitchen gadgets
84. Hair ties
85. YoYo
86. Harmonica
87. Kazoo
88. Flip flops
89. Umbrella
90. Sunscreen
91. Post-It Notes
92. Silly String
93. Pez
94. Earrings
95. Nail and cuticle oil
96. Slippers
97. Leave-in conditioner
98. Rings
99. Perfume
100. Hair towel
101. Eye mask
102. Add candy and an orange or apple to the top!
103. philosophy 3 in 1 shampoo, shower gel and bubble bath
Smells divine. Just fun. And all the scents are great.
Why should you trust us?
We are three moms who have raised 8 young adults and have been working on products lists for over 12 years now, making us experts. When selecting products we survey the Grown and Flown Parents Facebook group of nearly 300,000 parents of teens, tweens and young adults. We do opinion polls, surveys and ask open ended questions. We search for products that combine reasonable price with high quality and are recommended by our large following.
Prices accurate as of date of publication.
More Great Lists
26 Advent Calendars for Teens and College Students (2024)
