Gift guide · 12 ideas
Retirement gifts for a coworker
For the send-off: gifts for the travel, books, golf and slow mornings ahead, whether the whole team is chipping in or it’s a card and something small from you.
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The best retirement presents are about the next twenty years, not the last twenty. Most people leave work with a running list of plans, from the trip they keep postponing to the hobby that never fit around the job, and a gift that helps with one of them lands far better than a plaque or a desk clock.
The bigger ideas, like the e-reader, the photo frame, the suitcase or the record player, suit a collection from the whole team. The smaller ones, like the watercolor set or the hammock, are just right from one or two of you with a card everyone signs. Each idea comes with our pick from one of our top lists.
An e-reader
For the coworker who always had a paperback in their bag at lunch. Years of reading fit in something lighter than one book, with a warm light for reading late now there’s no alarm to set.
Amazon Kindle Paperwhite (16GB)
$150–$200
A 7-inch screen, an inch bigger than entry-level e-readers, with warm light for bedtime and quick page turns, and it’s waterproof enough to read in the bath.
What owners say: Battery life impresses owners, one of whom says it hardly ever needs charging. It’s comfortable to hold through long reading sessions and slips easily into a purse; a few feel it does less than they’d hoped.
A closer look: Amazon’s 12-week battery figure assumes half an hour of reading a day with Wi-Fi off, so longer sessions mean charging more often. Audible books play through Bluetooth headphones or a speaker, and listening runs the battery down faster than reading does.
- Sharp 7-inch screen
- Waterproof for the bath
- Fast page turns
A Wi-Fi digital photo frame
The team can load it with photos from work before the party, and the family keeps it filling up after. A team gift they’ll look at every day.
Skylight Frame 10-inch Wi-Fi Digital Picture Frame (black)
$100–$150
Each Skylight gets its own email address, so relatives can send a photo from any phone or computer without installing anything, and it turns up on the frame within a minute. The 10-inch touchscreen shows 1280 × 800 pictures, and the frame keeps playing the photos it has stored if the Wi-Fi drops.
What owners say: Photos from family across the country just appear, often as a nice surprise, and owners say anyone can use it. They praise the sharp picture, though a few think it costs more than it should.
A closer look: Choose the frame’s email address during setup and share it with the family: anything attached to an email lands on the screen. Gift Mode lets photos go on before the box is even opened, and because it stores what it receives, the slideshow keeps going through a Wi-Fi outage.
- 10 in touchscreen
- Photos by email or app
- Photos arrive within a minute
Heads up: Videos and captions need a paid Skylight Plus plan; photos sent by email or the app stay free.
View on Amazon See our top 5 digital photo frames →A suitcase for the big trip
Most people retire with a trip they’ve put off for years: the national parks, Italy, the grandkids across the country. A light, well-made suitcase is a gentle nudge to book it.
Travelpro Maxlite 5 25-inch Softside Spinner Suitcase (medium)
$150–$200
A soft-sided case, and a light one: Travelpro’s Maxlite 5 weighs 6.8 lb by its maker’s figure, in stain-resistant polyester with a water-resistant coating, two outside pockets for the things you want before the hotel, and a limited lifetime warranty. The handle locks at two heights, 38 and 42.5 in, so a tall traveler isn’t stooping to pull it.
What owners say: Light and easy to steer through an airport, owners say, with wheels that run smoothly and room for more than its size suggests; how long the handles last gets mixed reports, and some found it smaller than the listed measurements.
A closer look: Register the case with Travelpro after buying: its Trusted Companion Promise then covers repairs for airline damage for a year on top of the lifetime warranty. Use the full-length lid pocket for shirts that wrinkle, and the hold-down straps on the other side keep heavier things from shifting on the belt.
- Weighs just 6.8 lb
- Limited lifetime warranty
- Stain- and water-resistant fabric
A golf rangefinder
Their tee times can finally be on a Tuesday morning instead of squeezed into a Saturday. Knowing the exact yardage is a small edge for all those extra rounds.
Acer Golf Rangefinder with Slope On/Off (SW-RF700, 800 yards)
$75–$100
Slope on or off, a flag lock that buzzes to confirm, ±0.5-yard accuracy and a USB-C battery. Anti-shake steadies the reading for less-than-steady hands, and its six modes include a scan that reads distances as you sweep across bunkers and trees.
What owners say: Readings land within a whisker of the real distance, the optics stay clear on overcast days and the built-in magnet keeps it handy on the cart. One owner got through a three-day tournament on a single charge.
A closer look: This is the 800-yard version, which still reaches far beyond any flag, and the M button steps through its six modes. Leave slope on for practice rounds and switch it off for competitions, where slope readings aren’t allowed, then charge it by USB-C between rounds.
- Accurate to half a yard
- Slope on/off switch
- Anti-shake steadies the reading
A ping pong paddle set
Plenty of community centers keep a ping pong table, and the one in the basement can finally be cleared of laundry. Four paddles and a handful of balls mean doubles with friends or a game with the grandkids.
STIGA Performance Ping Pong Paddle Set (4 paddles, 6 balls)
$20–$30
Enough for doubles or a family game: four paddles and six 3-star balls, with 5-ply blades, 1.5mm sponge under smooth inverted rubber and solid wood flared handles. STIGA rates them for control ahead of speed, a forgiving balance for newer players.
What owners say: Beginners get on well with them, and owners like the weight and how they play. Grip, spin and toughness all divide opinion, though: some find plenty of each, others call the rubber slick and the paddles flimsy.
A closer look: There’s no case or bag in the box, so a drawer or a hook on the basement wall, out of direct sun, keeps the rubbers from drying out. The orange and white balls are the 40mm regulation size, so spares from any maker will fit.
- Set of 4 paddles
- 6 balls included
- Approved by USA Table Tennis
Binoculars
For the walks, the shoreline and the birds at the feeder they finally have time to watch. A good pair turns a slow morning at the window into a hobby.
Vortex Triumph HD 10x42 Binoculars
$75–$100
Bright, sharp 10x42s with HD glass and 17mm of eye relief, so glasses wearers see the whole view, in a rubber-armored body that’s waterproof, fogproof and shockproof. They come with Vortex’s GlassPak chest harness, which holds them ready on the chest instead of swinging from the neck.
What owners say: Hunters and birdwatchers praise the crisp, detailed view at a distance, and they work well with glasses. Light, solid-feeling and supplied with a nice case, they’re easy to take anywhere.
A closer look: Wear the GlassPak harness over a jacket and the binoculars sit snug against the chest, ready the second a bird lands, without bouncing on the trail. Vortex’s VIP warranty covers repair or replacement even after an accident, and it passes to the next owner.
- 10x magnification, 42mm lenses
- Waterproof and fogproof
- Lifetime warranty covers accidents
Trekking poles
For all the hikes they kept saying they’d do on a long weekend. A pair of poles steadies them on the steep way down and comes apart small enough for a suitcase.
Foxelli Aluminum Trekking Poles
$30–$50
Aircraft-grade aluminum shafts with cork grips, flip-locks and tungsten carbide tips. They adjust from 24 to 54 in, so one pair suits almost any height, and come apart to 21 in to fit a suitcase.
What owners say: Hikers find them sturdy, light, well made and a good value, quick to set with the flip-locks, and credit the extra stability with keeping them upright on rocky trails. The cork grips win praise for comfort.
A closer look: On a long descent, lengthen both poles a couple of inches so they reach the ground ahead of you, then shorten them again for the climb back up. Between hikes, store them taken apart in the carry bag, which keeps grit out of the flip-locks and the carbide points off the car’s upholstery.
- Weighs 9.4 oz per pole
- Cork grips, flip locks
- Carry bag included
A record player
They’ve had boxes of old records in the basement and no turntable since college. Now there’s time to play every one of them again.
1 BY ONE Bluetooth Belt-Drive Turntable with Built-in Speakers
$150–$200
A magnetic cartridge with an Audio-Technica stylus and an adjustable counterweight, the parts of a serious turntable, but with speakers built into the wood-and-metal cabinet, so it plays records the moment it’s set up.
What owners say: Turned up all the way, it fills a medium-sized room, owners report, and the controls are simple enough for a first record player. Phones pair over Bluetooth without trouble.
A closer look: Adjust the counterweight before the first record, since it sets how firmly the stylus sits in the groove. Its Bluetooth works one way: it plays a phone through its speakers, but won’t send records to wireless headphones.
- Speakers built in
- Plays a phone over Bluetooth
- Audio-Technica stylus
A bread maker
Baking was always the plan for a weekend that never came. With every weekday free, there can be a fresh loaf on the counter midweek.
KITCHENARM 29-in-1 Smart Bread Machine (2 lb)
$100–$150
Twenty-nine programs cover almost any loaf, from 100% whole wheat and dark rye without added gluten to gluten-free, sourdough and keto, plus cake, jam and yogurt. It remembers your last settings, so a favorite recipe is one press of Start the next time, and up to four menus of your own can set every knead, rise and bake.
What owners say: Owners find it easy to run and say the loaves come out right time after time, rolls included, and they rate the detailed manual and recipe book.
A closer look: Start with the 77 recipes in the book, written for this machine, before adapting family favorites in a custom menu. One alarm says when to add nuts, and a later one when to pull the paddle out so it doesn’t bake into the loaf. The pan is hand wash only.
- 29 programs, including gluten-free
- Loaves up to 2 lb
- 77 recipes in the book
A watercolor paint set
For the art class they’ve already signed up for, or the sketching walks they keep talking about. A pocket-sized box with its own brush and water pot, to paint wherever they stop.
Winsor & Newton Cotman Field Pocket Set (12 half pans)
$20–$30
Winsor & Newton’s pocket field box packs 12 Cotman half pans, a pocket brush, a sponge, three mixing areas, a 1.2 fl oz water bottle and a clip-on water pot into a box small enough for a jacket pocket. Cotman is the firm’s student range, which keeps the price down by swapping the costliest pigments for cheaper ones.
What owners say: It really is pocket-sized: one owner carries it in a jacket with a postcard pad, another compares it to a chalkboard eraser. They like the colors, the three mixing areas and having everything needed to paint outdoors.
A closer look: Fill the little bottle before setting out and clip the water pot to the side of the box, and you can paint standing up on a walk. A drop of water on each pan a minute before starting softens the paint, so the first strokes come out strong rather than pale.
- 12 colors
- Pocket brush and mixing palette
- Fits a jacket pocket
A backyard hammock
Monday afternoons are theirs now. A soft cotton hammock between two trees is about the most honest retirement present there is, and an easy one to give from one or two of you.
ANYOO Cotton Hammock with Tree Straps
$20–$30
Soft, breathable cotton-blend fabric that feels like a real backyard hammock, shaped so the bottom is longer than the top for a flatter lie that’s harder to roll out of.
What owners say: Kids love it, and grown-ups like the dense fabric, the bright colors and how easily it hangs on a stand. Some find it too small for two, and a few had the ropes give out after a couple of years.
A closer look: Two sturdy trees or posts about 10 to 13 ft apart are ideal, and it also fits a hammock stand. The fabric goes in the washing machine when it needs freshening up, and a book, a cushion and a Sunday afternoon are all it needs.
- Poly-cotton fabric
- Holds up to 660 lb
- Tree straps and 2 carabiners
Heads up: Cotton takes longer to dry than nylon, so bring it in when rain’s coming rather than leaving it out all summer.
View on Amazon See our top 5 hammocks →A first telescope
Learning the night sky is a hobby with no deadline, and the backyard becomes the place to spend clear nights.
SOLOMARK 80mm Refractor Telescope (80/900)
$75–$100
A long 900mm tube that suits close views of the Moon’s craters and the planets through an 80mm lens, with two wide-angle eyepieces, an erect-image diagonal, a phone adapter and a bag that holds the lot.
What owners say: Beginners find it easy to put together, and the views are clear enough to pick out Saturn’s rings. Its size and how well it performs split opinion, though.
A closer look: Find a target with the 20mm eyepiece first, then swap to the 10mm once it’s centered, since the closer view is narrower and harder to aim. The altitude and azimuth scales on the mount make it easier to come back to a favorite object, and the long tube is steadiest in a sheltered spot out of the wind.
- 80mm aperture refractor
- Phone adapter for photos
- Shows views right way up
Tips for coworker retirement gifts
- Ask their partner or a close coworker which plan they talk about most, and pick for that.
- For a team collection, one good present goes further than a pile of small ones, and it gives everyone something to sign the card for.
- If the team chooses the photo frame, send it a few photos from work through its email address before the party, so it starts with some memories.
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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