The 140 Best Mother’s Day Gift Ideas

There’s no penalty for gift-shopping procrastination — unless the present doesn’t actually arrive in time. But worry not: We found a crop of mom-worthy gifts that’ll still arrive on or before the big day. Just be sure not to dillydally, as the clock is ticking. Read morehere.

Whether you’re shopping for the mom who reappliessunscreenhourly or the one who is always looking for five more minutes of quiet, you’ll find something for her and then some in our gift guide for every type of mom. Senior writer Dominique Pariso has put together a list of 39 gifts with a range of price points that will appeal to moms of all stripes, including a gardening utility bag, a handy label-maker, and a retractable fountain pen. Read morehere.

If you’re looking for even more ideas, senior writer Ambar Pardilla rounds up gifts for moms all year long. She’s searched our archives and her favorite retailers to find 53 stellar gifts, including a charming fish-shaped carafe that our senior kitchen and dining writer, Emma Wartzman, spotted at a Los Angeles restaurant, one of our favorite beauty gizmos for adult acne, andPlum Sykes’s preferred bath oil. Read morehere.

Our beauty writer, Krista Bennett DeMaio, has good news for everyone realizing they’re running out of time to find an actually delightful Mother’s Day gift: “Beauty gifts are the ultimate save.” She rounded up the most gift-worthy beauty items that will arrive before Mother’s Day, like a lightweight fragrance that adapts to the wearer’s individual skin pH and a plant-based face cream that works likeretinol. Read morehere.

“You don’t need to spend a ton on a gift to make someone feel special,” says writer Brenley Goertzen. And to help you find a thoughtful gift within your budget, she put together a list of 50 gifts under $50 for all types of moms, from a clear (and actually cute) stadium bag to a cheaper-than-it-looksorange table lampfor the mom who wants tojoin the New York masses in creating an orange oasis. Read morehere.

We found a slew of on-sale gifts for anyone who’d like to surprise the mom in their life with something thoughtful that’s also a great deal. Our deals editor Sam Daly’s picks include the hair oilJennifer Garnercan’t live without, a “hero kit” of products fromthemakeup brand for middle-aged women, and a statusy candle from Maison Margiela — all of which are discounted by at least 20 percent. Read morehere.

Even the mom who tells you not to buy her anything will be pleased with a bouquet of flowers, whether it’s delivered in person or ordered online. Strategist writer Arielle Avila rounded up a variety of beautiful options, including a cheerful bouquet of sunflowers and a box of (practically) immortal roses. Just don’t wait too long to order to ensure you get a delivery date before or on Mother’s Day. Read morehere.

Strategist senior kitchen and dining writer Emma Wartzman has plenty of ideas that forgo the predictable flowers-and-chocolate route in favor of things a mom will actually use — now and for Mother’s Days to come. Who doesn’t want a simple cookbook full of tasty recipes, a handcrafted dustpan, or a fancy orange peeler? We’re willing to bet Mom will appreciate all three, but there’s plenty more to choose from on Wartzman’s list. Read morehere.

If you’re feeling the urge to splurge and want to pamper Mom with something fancy, writer Bennett DeMaio has rounded up a selection of Mother’s Day gifts that are expensive but worth it, including a cozy, extra-absorbent bathrobe, sculptural gold hoops, and a temperature-controlled mug. Just make sure to double-check shipping dates on these as well. Read morehere.

If you think about gifts as much as we do, you know there’s a big difference between something that’s worth the expense and something that’s just expensive to be expensive. We made a tight list of 22 gifts that are actually worth the splurge year-round, from hand cream that comes in a sculptural container to a mood-boosting sauna blanket. Read morehere.

If you’d like to give the mom in your life something more special than flowers or generic jewelry, take a tip from senior writer Liza Corsillo: Get her a personalized gift. She pulled together 25 of the best and most creative personalized Mother’s Day gifts you can buy online, from a monogrammed pair ofpajamasto a quirky charm necklace from Susan Alexandra. Just be sure to order as soon as possible to allow plenty of time for production and shipping, and check expected delivery dates closely as May 10 gets closer, as they’re subject to change. Read morehere.

[Editor’s note: At this point, many personalized items may not ship in time. Take note of estimated shipping dates before checking out to plan accordingly.]

When it comes to finding a Mother’s Day gift for your spouse, you’ll want to go with a gift that conveys the sentiment “I love you as a co-parent but also as a person.” Since that’s easier said than done, Strategist writer Tembe Denton-Hurst combed the Strategist archives and interviewed many tasteful wives to put together a list of gifts that includes something for everyone, from the mom who’s cutting out plastic to the one who goes straight from the gym to the office. Read morehere.

For even more gifts that’ll surprise and delight your wife, Denton-Hurst curated a list of more than 40 other gift ideas for every type of wife, including the one who had to explain “everything showers” to you, the kind who goes to bed as the sun sets, and the one who loves nothing more than a familyboard-gamenight. Read morehere.

As the mother of two young children, senior writer Lauren Ro knows how overwhelming it can feel to be a new mom — and just how much a thoughtful gift can help make the transition into motherhood a little smoother. To help you find the right thing for the occasion, she rounded up 25 thoughtful gifts that will go a long way in making her feel a bit more like herself in those early sleep-deprived weeks and months, from amassage gunto help relieve tension in her arms and back from holding her baby all day to the instant cameraJeremiah Brent’s kidsuse to make instant memories. Read morehere.

And for even more ideas, Ro surveyed both new and seasoned mothers about the gifts they actually want (any time of year), like the only bra she wore for the first few months postpartum and the five-year diary a senior editor bought when her elder daughter was born. Read morehere.

Pardilla has a foolproof plan for anyone struggling to find a gift for their mother-in-law: Give her something she’ll actually use and doesn’t already have. Sure, you’ll need to know whether she’s, say, in the process of making a family photo album or in a bit of a reading slump, but from there, we have 46 gift suggestions for every type of mother-in-law. (Susan Orleans’s sleep earbuds and this cute embroidered waffle pouch for frequent travelers are some of our personal favorites.) Read morehere.

Most grandmothers will tell you that your presence is the best present, but a physical gift is a great way to show the grandma in your life how much you care about her. We suggest going with grandchild-focused gifts, like a picture frame for finger paintings or a guided journal she can do with her grandbabies. But if you’d like to branch out, we also stand behind this nice-looking be-strapped phone case and this ultrasonic cleaner that will have her jewelry and glasses sparkling in just three minutes. Read morehere.

While talking to her own grandmother about the best gifts to include inour gift guide for grandmothers, writer Arielle Avila has noticed just one through-line: Her grandmother only wants to spend more time with her granddaughter. With that in mind, Avila put together a list of gifts that double as activities moms and grandmas can enjoy with their kids and grandkids, such as a manicure kit with long-lasting, quick-drying polishes and a picturesque tea-party set. Read morehere.

As someone whose mother lives overseas, Strategist writer Katherine Gillespie understands how bittersweet it can be to spend Mother’s Day without your mom: “While I’m sad she’s not around to hang out with, the holiday presents a perfect opportunity to do some of my very best gifting,” she writes. To help you find that special something, she rounded up all of our favorite gifts for long-distance mothers, includingtravel accessoriesfor her next trip to see you. (This neck pillow, which is made of memory foam but can also be inflated to her liking by pressing a hidden pump-up button, is one of her favorites.) Read morehere.

When all else fails, it’s hard to go wrong with a beauty gift for Mother’s Day. There are plenty of those to choose from throughout this gift guide, but if you’rereallytrying to spoil your mom this year, we suggest going for a beauty gizmo. Not all of them are made equally, so Strategist senior writer Dominique Pariso rounded up all of her favorite beauty gadgets that actually deliver results, like thered-light maskof choice among Strategist beauty writers and the newly releasedtravel-size Dysonthat’s small enough to chuck into your handbag. Read morehere.

Sure, making breakfast in bed goes a long way on Mother’s Day, but if you can’t swing that, Wartzman recommends getting her an edible gift anyway. She rounded up her favorite food gifts — from those that’ll become a pantry staple to those she can share with friends — all of which are sure to please your mom or any momlike figure in your life. Read morehere.

Sometimes the best way to find a good gift is to go straight to the source — so we did. We asked all the moms on the Strategist staff what’s on their Mother’s Day wish lists. While most would just like a little time alone, they came up with a few tangible items, including abook that has too long a wait at the library, anew weekend kids’ bag, and anew piece of personalized jewelry. Read morehere.

Another route for giving her something thoughtful but within budget is to get the cheapest (often smallest) item from a designer or luxury brand. We’ve found about two dozen such items, from $42 Prada blush and $80 La Mer lip balm to luxury tomato-scented hand soap and some brightening eye patches from Dior. Do pay close attention to shipping dates on these, as some take longer to ship, and shipping times are changing quickly. See morehere.

[Editor’s note: These (relatively) affordable gifts won’t arrive by Mother’s Day, but you can surprise her with abouquet of flowersas she waits for her gift.]