Best graduation gifts in 2022
The Class of 2022 is graduating. It's a time for high school grads, college grads and even grad school grads to celebrate their accomplishments, so why not pick up a gift for the grad in your life? Consider gifting your grad an Amazon gift card, new luggage for a fun summer trip, diamond earrings and more. We break all the bets graduation gifts down for you below.
Top products in this article:
Apple AirPods Pro, $197 (reduced from $249)
Our recommendations for the best graduation gifts in 2022 include grad gift ideas from Amazon, Apple, Away, Blue Apron and more and work for a variety of budgets.
Want even more ideas? Then check out our nine great gift card ideas for grads, plus gift card deals, our guide to the best headphone gifts for new grads, plus deals and our look at the best jewelry gifts for grads.
Amazon gift card
Your favorite grads can get almost anything they need for their next phase with an Amazon gift card. Load this card (that comes in a fitting, graduation-cap gift box!) with an amount between $25 and $2,000.
Away The Large Flex
Does your grad have travels or a moving day coming up? If so, it's hard to go wrong with a large, high-quality, hard-shell suitcase. Away's The Large Flex is the brand's largest model. It can be expanded, too, making it even bigger. Find it in five colors.
Show Me Your Mumu x Barbie Nikki mini dress
Gift your fashion-loving grad this dress from the new Show Me Your Mumu x Barbie collection. Graduation Day Barbie herself would approve of this pink linen mini-dress for summer.
Show Me Your Mumu x Barbie Nikki mini dress, $168
Blue Apron meal e-gift card
Whether they're entering the real world, or moving onto their next round of school, your grads could use homecooked meals. Make it easier on them with a Blue Apron meal kit gift card, . Choose from denominations of $70, $140 or $280.
Blue Apron meal e-gift card, $70+
Saie Two-Minute makeup kit
Spruce up your grad's makeup routine with the Saie Two-Minute Makeup Kit. It comes with Saie's Mascara 101, liquid lip balm, brow butter and Glowy Super Gel. You can choose the shades you want for the kit.
Saie Two-Minute makeup kit, $82 (reduced from $89)
Diamond Nexus round cut stud earrings
Classic diamond earrings are a gift your grad can wear for a lifetime, so they're worth investing in. With these diamond-alternative earrings from Diamond Nexus, you have your choice of precious metal type, center stone size and certification status. The diamond alternatives on these earrings are lab-created, but indistinguishable from a perfect diamond.
Diamond Nexus .66 cts round cut stud earrings, $272 (reduced from $340)
Paper Source Crushed It Can congratulations card
Don't forget a graduation card! Paper Source has quite a few options, like this one, apt for a college grad. This crushed seltzer can card is blank inside.
Paper Source Crushed It Can congratulations card, $5.95
Apple AirPods (2nd Generation)
Your grad will love these Apple AirPods. They're not the latest model, but they're still one of the most sought-after earbud sets on the market.
Retailing for $159 at Apple, they're on sale at Amazon right now for $119. Thanks to their wireless charging case, these AirPods can deliver more than 24 hours of listening time. They boast a foolproof, one-tap setup for Apple device owners.
Apple AirPods (2nd Generation), $119 (reduced from $159)
Apple AirPods Pro
The Apple AirPods Pro make an excellent graduation gift. These water-resistant AirPods have made headlines by offering active noise cancelation, and even hearing-health tracking in a more-compact, better-fitting design than previous models. They're also lauded for their great sound quality. All this comes at a steep list price: $250. But lucky for you, Amazon has a major deal on them right now.
Marked down to $197 on Amazon, the Apple AirPods Pro won't cost you much more than the Apple AirPods (3rd Generation), which are going for $168.
Apple AirPods Pro, $197 (reduced from $249)
Apple MacBook Air
Whether they're off to college or off to work, any grad will appreciate a new MacBook. The Apple MacBook Air is Apple's entry-level MacBook. It's a great option if you need a basic, day-to-day laptop. Boasting a 13.3-inch Retina display screen, and weighing 2.8 pounds, it's the lightest and most portable MacBook. It retains a premium feel, thanks to an aluminum body (available in silver or space gray), and backlit keyboard. It's powered by Apple's snappy M1 chip, so it will see you through basic photo editing, and light video editing. Its battery lasts up to 18 hours.
Apple MacBook Air (Apple M1, 8 GB RAM, 256GB SSD), $997 (regularly $1,000)
Is your grad a graphic designer or someone who works with a visual medium? Then the MacBook Air model with 512GB of storage, not to mention an 8-core CPU, may be for them. This version of the laptop is better suited than the 256GB model for graphics-intensive tasks, such as photo editing and graphic design.
Apple MacBook Air (Apple M1, 8 GB RAM, 512 GB SSD), $1,215
The 512GB Apple MacBook Air is even less at Walmart.
Apple MacBook Air (Apple M1, 8 GB RAM, 512 GB SSD), $1,179 (reduced from $1,249)
Apple Watch Series 7 (41mm): $329 and up
Gift your grad a brand new Apple Watch.
Right now, you can save over $50 on the GPS version of the 41mm Apple Watch Series 7 at Amazon. At Apple, the model lists for $399 – and up. On Amazon, prices and availability may vary depending on the color of the watch. We also saw a deal on the 41mm watch with GPS and built-in cellular: Some colors are going for $434 right now -- that's down from the $499 Apple list price.
Apple Watch Series 7 GPS (41mm), $348 and up (regularly $399)
Apple Watch Series 7 GPS + cellular (41 mm), $434 and up (regularly $499)
Respawn racing-style reclining gaming chair: $283
Your grad has spent so much time working, they deserve some time to relax and game. Gift them the perfect gaming chair to play in.
Its armrest has a built-in cupholder, as well as a removable side pouch (the better to keep game controllers close). It reclines up to 135 degrees, and has a 360-degree swivel base.
Respawn racing-style reclining gaming chair, $283 (reduced from $320)
Samsung's "The Frame" smart TV
Your grad likely doesn't have the money for a new TV. That's why you're going to gift them this awesome Samsung smart TV.
The 2022 "The Frame" offers gorgeous quantum-dot picture and intelligently upscales TV and movies to 4K. The smart TV boasts a new matte display with anti-glare, anti-reflection and anti-fingerprint properties.
When you're not streaming show or movies on "The Frame," the set displays preprogrammed artwork, from Picasso to Basquiat, or pictures from your family vacation (that you've uploaded to "The Frame" from your phone or USB flash drive). So, yes, this TV puts on a show whether it's on -- or off.
65" Samsung "The Frame" QLED TV 2022, $2,000
75" Samsung "The Frame" QLED TV 2022, $3,000
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