The 35 best 18th birthday gifts for boys in 2021
BUYING an 18th birthday gift is no easy task. Teenagers are notoriously picky, and often times annoyingly clued up on trends.
So unless you flat out ask them what they want, playing the guessing game is risky business. Luckily there are a few tried and tested ideas that won’t fail to impress.
Every 18 year old is of course different. But for a landmark birthday such as this, some classic gifts will always be appropriate.
And for the tech-obsessed teenager, there are more options than ever. From bluetooth speakers to headphones and smartwatches, the options are never ending.
Looking for inspiration? Here’s our round-up of the best 18th birthday gifts for boys.
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Bluetooth speakers
Bluetooth speakers are a great gift, regardless of age. Easy to connect to phones, tablets and laptops, they offer far better, deeper sound than your device’s built in speakers.
They can also be taken to any room in the house, thanks to their small size and portability. Perfect for using while studying, or taking round a mate’s house, bluetooth speakers are an essential for music-loving 18 year olds and casual listeners alike.
- Anker Soundcore Mini, £23.99 from Amazon -
- Sony XB13 portable speaker, £45 from Sony -
- JBL Flip 5 portable speaker, £89 from Currys -
- LG PL2 XBOOM speaker, £29.99 from Currys -
- Bose Soundlink Color II speaker, £89.99 from Currys -
Gaming gifts
Unfortunately, and thanks to global chip shortages, PS5s and Xbox Series Xs are still incredibly hard to get hold of. If you could track one down that would surely be the ultimate 18th birthday present, but if not, there are plenty of gaming gifts available.
A headset hits two birds with one stone. It gives the 18 year old in question an unrivalled gaming experience, with deep bass and immersive 3D sound quality. And, if you happen to live with them, it means you no longer have to endure their blaring TV.
Elsewhere, two of the biggest games out right now and for the foreseeable future are Battlefield 2042 and Call of Duty Vanguard. You could do worse than buying them one or the other, and if you’re really at a loose end, a chair for them to loose hours to the virtual world in wouldn’t go amiss.
- Razor Kraken gaming headset, £37.99 from Amazon -
- Eksa E900 gaming headset, £44.90 from Amazon -
- Battlefield 2042, £59.99 from Amazon -
- Call of Duty Vanguard, £63 from Amazon -
- Requena Sport gaming chair, £109.99 from Amazon -
Trainers
For the more fashion conscious 18 year old, a new pair of trainers would likely go down a treat. For something they can easily wear out and about, opt for something classic such as Nike’s Air Force 1 or Adidas Superstars.
It’s probably best, and far safer, to keep the colours simple and easy to wear if possible. Unless you’re 100% confident about the person you’re buying for’s taste, stick to white, black and simple blue or green accents.
- Nike Air Force 1, £99.95 from Nike -
- Jordan 1 Low, £104.99 from Foot Locker -
- Adidas Superstar, £80 from Adidas -
- Vans Old Skool, £65 from Vans -
- New Balance 574, £75 from New Balance -
Watch
A new watch will never not be a good 18th birthday present. While we would advise keeping it timeless and going for a classic, mechanical watch, the smartwatch boom can’t be ignored. And let’s face it, chances are most 18 year olds would take an Apple Watch over a Timex.
The latest Apple Watches will set you back, but they come with all the latest tech and sleek design that sets the California brand apart. Other smartwatches are of course readily available, and many have innovative features including full screen displays, video calling, sensors that can measure your bloody oxygen levels and way more.
If you do want to stay classic though, look out for understated, easy to wear watches that will stand the test of time. You can’t go wrong with Japanese brand Seiko, which produces a clean range of tool watches, and jokes aside, Timex has specialised in affordable designs since 1854.
- Apple Watch Series 7, £366.99 from Amazon -
- FITBIT Versa 2, £99 from
- Samsung Galaxy Watch 4, £199 from
- Timex Marlin, £174.99 from Timex -
- Seiko 5 Sports, £240 from Seiko -
Wallet
You can’t go wrong with gifting a wallet for someone’s 18th. Sure, it might not be the most exciting present, but a good quality leather wallet will get used every day, and should last years.
Again, stick to classic designs that will look as good now as they will in five years time. Think textured leather in black or brown, and turn to iconic brands including Barbour, John Lewis and Ralph Lauren. For something more trend-led, look to ‘90s inspired designs from the likes of The North Face, and you can’t go too far wrong.
- Barbour leather bifold, £41.95 from John Lewis -
- John Lewis leather bifold, £40 from John Lewis -
- Polo Ralph Lauren leather bifold, £65 from House of Fraser -
- Barbour leather bifold, £36 from House of Fraser -
- The North Face Base Camp wallet, £22 from ASOS -
Headphones
It’s not an assumption to think that most 18 year olds will have a smartphone. But said smartphones mostly come equipped with sub-par headphones that don’t make the most of their audio capabilities.
Improve their sound by gifting upgraded headphones, which boast the necessary tech to get more out of music and video. Deeper bass, richer mid-tones and more defined sound can be found in cans from the likes of Beats, Sony and Bose.
Whether you go for over-ear or in-ear headphones is largely down to personal preference, so maybe try to gauge which style the person you’re buying for would prefer.
- Apple AirPods, £99 from Argos -
- Samsung Galaxy Buds+, £79 from Argos -
- Beats Studio wireless headphones, £129 from John Lewis -
- Sony bluetooth headphones, £34 from John Lewis -
- Bose Soundlink II wireless headphones, £159 from Currys -
Shaving gear
Shaving is an essential part of every man’s grooming routine. Now the 18 year old in question has entered manhood, it’s likely time to either start shaving, or improve on existing technique.
Forget seven-bladed razors, for wet shaving, you only need one. A safety razor not only looks cool, it also offers about as close a shave as you can get. Often made from solid stainless steel, safety razors are a sustainable way to shave - they last for years and you simply replace the blade when it’s worn.
Don’t forget the shaving brush, too. Necessary to whip up a lather with a quality cream, brushes properly prepare the face for shaving. Use in a circular motion to soften the hair and open up the follicles, which allows for a closer shave. For those that want to maintain a beard or short stubble though, an electric razor is probably the way to go.
- Merkur 23c safety razor, £36 from Amazon -
- Edwin Jagger shaving brush, £35 from Edwin Jagger -
- Harry’s shave cream, £7 from Boots -
- Taylor of Old Bond Street sandalwood shaving cream, £10.95 from Taylor of Old Bond Street -
- Philips Aquatouch electric shaver, £49.99 from Argos -
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