Gift guide · 12 ideas
Gifts for teenage girls
Her room is where she gets ready, does homework, has friends over and shuts the door on the rest of us: gifts for every corner of it.
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A teenage girl’s room does a lot of jobs. It’s where she does her makeup before school, where homework happens (or doesn’t), where the videos get filmed and the sleepovers run late. Presents for it are an easy win, because they get used every day and they’re hers, not the family’s.
Each idea comes with our pick from one of our top lists, chosen for a teenager’s room rather than simply the top of the list: a weighted blanket sized for a twin bed, a phone tripod with its own lights, an alarm clock with separate times for school days and weekends.
A star projector
Turns her ceiling into a night sky, in whatever colors she picks on her phone. Friends at a sleepover end up lying on the floor staring at it.
Govee Star Projector Lights with Matter (H6095)
$50–$75
Seven zones of stars and nebula, each with its own color, set from Govee’s app or by voice through Alexa, Google Assistant or a Matter home, so the stars can go off from under the covers. Wide lenses spread it over up to 540 sq ft, enough for a living room ceiling.
What owners say: Owners love building their own scenes in the app and say it makes a room feel magical at night; some wish it were brighter, and a few found the colors limited to red, green and blue.
A closer look: Start in the Govee app, then add it to Alexa, Google Home or a Matter hub, following the guide in the box. A power adapter comes with it as well as the USB cable, and the sleep mode’s shut-off lets it run while you drift off.
- Seven-zone nebula and stars
- App, voice and Matter control
- Covers 540 sq ft
A light-up makeup mirror
For the desk that has quietly turned into a vanity. Bulbs all the way around light her face evenly, so makeup done at 7 a.m. still looks right at school.
Kotdning Vanity Mirror with 9 Dimmable Bulbs
$20–$30
Nine frosted globe bulbs around a 14 by 12 inch mirror, for the Hollywood look on a desk or a dorm dresser. Three light colors, a touch dimmer, a memory for your last setting and a stick-on 10x magnifier.
What owners say: It’s big enough to see the whole face and the warm and cool settings both get used, owners say, and plenty bought it for a dorm room; a few have had the lights give up after several months.
A closer look: Tap M to cycle the light colors and hold P to dim; it comes back on at the setting you left it. Rubber pads on the base keep it from sliding on a glass desk. It runs from the USB cable in the box, so plug it into any phone adapter rather than hunting for a special power supply.
- 9 bulbs, 3 light colors
- 10x spot magnifier
- Runs from a phone adapter
A sunrise alarm clock
On school mornings it’s still dark at seven and the phone alarm has been snoozed four times. A light that brightens slowly is a kinder way up, and the phone can charge in the kitchen.
JALL Full-Screen Sunrise Alarm Clock (K8)
$30–$50
The whole round front lights up, so the sunrise fills more of the room than a small lamp would, and it adds an FM radio, a Bluetooth speaker and two alarms for weekdays and weekends.
What owners say: It’s quick to get going, by owners’ accounts, and being eased awake by the brightening screen and birdsong goes down well, though several had the alarm stop working after a while.
A closer look: Wake to a radio station or one of the nature sounds, and set the snooze anywhere from 5 to 20 minutes. At night the L0 setting blacks the screen out completely, handy for anyone who can’t sleep with a glowing clock in view.
- Sunrise lasts 10–60 minutes
- FM radio and Bluetooth speaker
- Whole round front lights up
A record player
For the teenager buying her favorite albums on vinyl, sometimes before she owns anything to play them on. A turntable on the dresser makes her room the one friends want to hang out in.
Retrolife R609 Bluetooth Suitcase Record Player
$30–$50
A black faux-leather suitcase with bronze-finish screws and grilles and a solid handle, so it moves from room to room with the records. It plays 7, 10 and 12-inch records at all three speeds, and an auto-stop switch stops the platter when a side ends.
What owners say: New collectors find it ready to play with clear sound as soon as it’s unpacked, and the handle makes it easy to carry between rooms. Parents say their children enjoy it too.
A closer look: A mode switch picks Bluetooth, aux or phono, so check it’s set to phono before lowering the arm onto a record. The headphone jack suits late-night listening, and with the lid shut it carries like a small case to a friend’s place.
- Suitcase with a carry handle
- Speakers built in
- Headphone jack
A silk pillowcase
Curls, braids and blowouts: she wants them to still be there in the morning. Plenty of people find silk kinder to their hair than cotton, and it feels like a treat every night.
Ravmix 21 Momme Mulberry Silk Pillowcase (Standard)
$10–$20
Mulberry silk at 21 momme, with a hidden zipper and a gift box. It survives the washing machine too.
What owners say: Soft is the usual report, with hair and skin the better for it; some doubt the silk, and the zipper broke for a few.
A closer look: A second one is worth having so there’s always a fresh case while the other is in the wash. Silk soaks up less than cotton, so night creams stay on the skin rather than in the pillow, and the hidden zipper holds the pillow snugly in place.
- 21 momme mulberry silk
- Comes in a gift box
- Machine washable
A karaoke machine
Sleepovers at her place tend to end in a singalong at 1 a.m. With two mics, she and a friend can take the duet while everyone else waits their turn.
VERKB T-09 Karaoke Machine with 2 Wireless Mics (150W)
$50–$75
Roughly 20 hours of play per charge from a 6.5-inch speaker rated 150W peak, in a 6 lb box you can sling over a shoulder, with two rechargeable wireless mics (no AA batteries needed) and a recessed slot on top that holds a tablet for the lyrics. It’s the size for a party in the living room.
What owners say: Clear and loud is the verdict, with vocals that cut through the music; it pairs in seconds and is simple enough for the children to run, and one found it charged and ready out of the box.
A closer look: Charge the mics and the speaker together the night before, stand a tablet in the slot with a lyrics video playing, and the first singer is away. Turn the music down a notch for the shy ones: the mics stay clear over the backing track. The strap makes it easy to carry to the backyard.
- 2 rechargeable wireless mics
- About 20 hours a charge
- Tablet slot on top
Heads up: It’s a newer machine, with less of a track record to go on than longer-established ones.
View on Amazon See our top 5 karaoke machines →A weighted blanket
After a long school day, she’s curled up on the bed with a show before her bag hits the floor. A blanket with a little weight to it makes that hour even cozier.
Topblan Cooling Weighted Blanket (12 lb, Twin)
$20–$30
A lighter 12 lb blanket in soft, breathable microfiber, and a gentler first weight for anyone new to the feeling: Topblan suggests first-timers start at around 8% of their body weight.
What owners say: Owners find the weight evenly spread and the fabric soft and comfortable, and one says it’s light enough to keep around their shoulders while walking around the house.
A closer look: At 48 × 72 in it’s sized for a twin bed or one person on the couch, so it lies over you without draping off the sides. Try it for a nap or an evening’s reading at first while you get used to the weight, then take it to bed.
- 12 lb, twin size
- Machine washable
- Reversible
An instant camera
For a wall of photos above the bed: every sleepover, game and concert, printed in a minute and pinned up. Prints she can hold beat another thousand photos on her phone.
instax mini 12 Instant Camera (Lilac Purple)
$75–$100
Twist the lens to switch on, point, shoot: exposure and flash are automatic, so there’s nothing to get wrong at a party. The credit-card prints slip straight into a phone case or a birthday card.
What owners say: Easy and fun from the first pack, and the lilac purple wins plenty of fans. Results are less consistent: clear for many, blurry for others, and a few had a camera that stopped firing for no obvious reason.
A closer look: Film is sold separately: a pack gives 10 shots, so buy a couple of twin packs with it. Prints take around a minute and a half to appear, and they come out best if you keep film out of hot cars and direct sun. The two AA batteries last about 10 packs.
- Uses instax mini film
- 2.4 × 1.8 in prints
- Automatic exposure and flash
Heads up: Fujifilm’s newer instax mini 13 takes the same film and adds a self-timer.
View on Amazon See our top 5 instant cameras →A phone tripod with lights
For dance videos, outfit checks and calls with friends, filmed in a bedroom where the ceiling light flatters nobody. Two little lights and a remote, so the phone isn’t propped on a stack of books.
SelfieShow 53 in Selfie Stick Tripod with Two Lights (C13D)
$10–$20
Two dimmable fill lights ride on the pole, each with warm, natural and white light at two brightness levels, so faces stay bright on an evening video call or in a dim restaurant. It folds to 8.9 in and weighs about 10 oz.
What owners say: The lights earn their place in photos, owners say, and the height adjusts easily. Steadiness, remote pairing and how firmly the clamp holds a phone all get mixed reports.
A closer look: Charge the lights before a trip with the USB cable in the box, and pick the warm tone indoors, where white light can look harsh on skin. At 53 in it’s fine on a table or held out for a selfie, less so for filming over a crowd.
- Two dimmable lights built in
- Folds to 8.9 in
- Warm, natural or white light
Paint pens
Plain sneakers, a tote, her phone case, a mirror frame: she’d customize all of it if she could. With paint pens she can, and nobody at school will have the same.
POSCA PC-5M Paint Markers (8 colors, medium tip)
$10–$20
The marker illustrators, muralists and sneaker customizers reach for, in the medium 1.8–2.5mm tip: fine enough for lettering, broad enough to fill a rock. Mitsubishi Pencil launched POSCA in Japan in 1983; despite the name, the company has nothing to do with the Mitsubishi car and bank group.
What owners say: Rock painters and graffiti-style letterers love the dense, vivid color, and kids around ten find them easy to handle. Some pens last a long time and dry fast; others run out within months or dry slowly.
A closer look: On wood, stone and canvas the paint is permanent, but it wipes off smooth glass and metal, which makes slips easy to fix there; seal a finished piece you want to keep. The medium tip handles both jobs on a painted rock: lay in the color with the side of the nib, then hold it upright for lettering and outlines.
- 8 colors, medium tip
- Water-based paint
- Works on 50+ surfaces
A makeup brush set
She’s learning makeup from videos, with her fingers and a borrowed brush. A few good brushes and a couple of sponges of her own make the morning routine feel grown-up.
Real Techniques Everyday Essentials Set (4 brushes, 2 sponges)
$10–$20
Four brushes and two sponges that cover a whole everyday face: foundation, blush, setting powder and eyeshadow, plus Miracle Complexion Sponges for blending. Real Techniques began as a line developed with makeup artist Sam Chapman of YouTube’s Pixiwoo.
What owners say: Super soft, with a smooth, almost airbrushed finish, and owners say they blend powder and cream blush alike without shedding. Beginners find them easy to start with and easy to wash.
A closer look: Use the sponges damp for a dewy finish or dry for fuller coverage, and wash the brushes once a week to keep them soft. There’s a spare sponge for when the first one wears out.
- 4 brushes and 2 sponges
- For foundation, blush, powder, eyes
- Sponges work damp or dry
An aroma diffuser
For homework at the desk and winding down after it. Add a little bottle of lavender or orange oil to the box, and her room smells like hers rather than like the rest of the house.
InnoGear Essential Oil Diffuser (3.4 fl oz, Basic White)
$10–$20
A plain white teardrop that suits any room: a 3.4 fl oz tank, steady mist for a quick burst of scent or mist every 30 seconds to last most of the night, and seven light colors set separately from the mist.
What owners say: Owners say it’s simple to fill and run, enjoy the scent and the changing colors, and some keep it on as a night light; a few found it smaller than they pictured, while others say the size suits a bedroom.
A closer look: On intermittent mode it pauses every 30 seconds, which stretches a full tank to six to eight hours, enough for a night’s sleep. InnoGear puts its reach at 100 to 250 sq ft, so it’s happiest in a bedroom or an office rather than an open-plan living space.
- 3.4 fl oz tank
- Up to 8 hours intermittently
- Covers 100–250 sq ft
Tips for buying for a teenage girl’s room
- Measure the desk or dresser before buying a mirror or a record player: the top fills up fast, and both want an outlet nearby.
- Weighted blankets are chosen by the sleeper’s weight, usually about a tenth of it, so have a rough idea of hers before you pick one.
- Paint pens make a better present with something to paint: a pair of plain canvas sneakers or a tote bag in the box.
Photos are illustrative, some computer-generated. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. It costs you nothing extra. How we pick · How this works.
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