GoKawiilGraduating from high school is a huge milestone -- it's the first step into real "adulting," and for some grads, it means they'll be moving far away from family for the first time in their lives. Whether your graduate will be starting a new job, heading off to college or taking a gap year, a thoughtful and practical gift can help prepare them for whatever life throws their way. Cold, hard cash is always appreciated -- but the best graduation gifts are considerably more practical than a wad of bills -- and won't immediately get blown on food and gas.
From laptops and headphones to cool kitchen gadgets and travel accessories, we've put together a list of our editors' top picks for the best high school graduation gifts. And if you're looking for a gift for the college grad in your life, be sure to check out our ultimate college graduation gift guide.
Best laptop gifts for grads
MacBook Neo The MacBook Neo, a CNET Editors' Choice Award winner, is a worthy laptop for a young adult on a budget, and it's our top choice for college students. It has the same look and feel as Apple’s other MacBooks, and if you already have an iPhone (which many students do), it will work seamlessly with it. The Neo’s A18 Pro chip isn't as powerful as the M-series processor you'll find in the MacBook Air or Pro, but it’s enough to deliver what most students need from a laptop. MacBook Neo review. $590 at Amazon $599 at Apple Close
What is this? Featured Deal Dell 15 laptop with Microsoft college offer When your grad is heading off to college, they need a laptop that works hard and plays hard. The Dell 15 is a stylish, efficient, affordable option for all-purpose computing, from paper-writing to gaming to winding down with a movie. This model runs on Windows 11 and comes pre-loaded with Microsoft’s ultimate college bundle, which includes a year of Microsoft 365 Premium for papers and presentations, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate for fun and a design-your-own Xbox controller -- a $500 value. $645 at Amazon Close
HP OmniBook 5 14 The HP OmniBook 5 14 is a CNET Editors' Choice Award winner and our pick for the best Windows laptop for students. Why? For one thing, the battery life is unbelievable. In addition to lasting a record-setting 28 hours in our testing, the OmniBook 5 14 offers a simple, elegant design and easy-to-carry weight -- plus, an OLED display that delivers stellar contrast and vivid colors. It also supplies an ample 32GB of RAM and a roomy 1TB SSD, neither of which is a given in a laptop that is often available for less than $1,000. For students and others constantly on the go, the OmniBook 5 14 is a fantastic pick at a great price. HP OmniBook 5 14 review. $1,100 at HP Close
Asus Zenbook A14 For anyone who'll be walking all over campus, the last thing they want is a brick in their backpack. If you're shopping for a student who will be traveling on foot or on bike every day, consider the Asus Zenbook A14. Weighing less than 2.2 pounds, the Zenbook A14 is the lightest Copilot Plus PC we've tested, and it's the second-longest running, offering a battery life of more than 24 hours. You might expect an ultra-lightweight laptop to feel flimsy, but the Ceraluminum shell feels durable, and the 14-inch OLED display is excellent. Resident laptop expert Matt Elliott had some nitpicks about this one (read his full review), and some apps may run into a Windows-on-Arm compatibility issue. But if portability is paramount, then the lightweight, long-running Zenbook A14 is the pick. Asus Zenbook A14 review. $1,300 at Best Buy Close
Lenovo Chromebook Duet 11 The Lenovo Duet 11, a recipient of a CNET Editors' Choice Award, is a pen-enabled tablet-laptop combo that's perfect for commuting, taking to classes, or using as a secondary computer. It's not only ultra-affordable, but it's small, so it's easy use anywhere to email, take Zoom calls, play mobile games or watch shows. It's got good battery life, reaching almost 11 hours in our streaming video rundown tests. And it has USI Pen 2.0 support, which means it can be used for sketching or taking notes. Lenovo Duet 11 review. $249 at Best Buy $399 at Lenovo Close
Best headphone gifts for grads
Beats Studio Pro For college-bound grads who aren't staying at home, chances are they'll need to deal with noisy roommates. The Beats Studio Pro are some of the most popular noise-canceling headphones of all time. While they're not as highly rated as the AirPods Max, they're a lot more affordable, and this latest iteration offers improved sound quality and noise cancellation over their predecessor. Read our full review to find out what makes these headphones great with some caveats. $200 at Amazon $160 at GameStop Close
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