By far, the hardest people to shop for (in my opinion) are teen boys. They’ve outgrown most toys, like to spend most of their time hanging out with their friends (which means less time at home revealing their interests), and all of the interests they do share seem to come with a hefty price tag.
After struggling through this phase with my oldest child (now in college), I did find several things that teen boys love that won’t cripple your bank account. Below you will find the best gifts for teen boys.
This gift guide is the 18th in my series 30 Days of Gift Guides. Every day in November I am sharing a new gift guide to help you find the perfect item for everyone on your holiday shopping list. You can find all of the gift guides by clicking on the image below.
Best Gifts for Teen Boys
I’m going to start with video games since this is an obvious one. Your favorite teen has probably already asked for their favorite new games, but just in case you’re not sure which ones will be a hit. Here are a couple of suggestions.
Call of Duty and Battlefield are two of the most popular series and they both have new editions rolling out this season. Call of Duty: Black Ops III and Battlefield 4 were just released earlier this month. Most video game lovers picked these up the day they came out, but if your teen has budgetary constraints, these will be at the top of his list for Christmas.
Even if your teen has all the games he wants, he might be missing some of the equipment he’d like to help enhance his gaming experience. 
Teen boys can have just as much fun outside if you inspire them to get out there. Appealing to their attraction to shooting games and penchant for destruction, this backyard ballistics book might be just the right motivation.
Two of my sons’ favorite outdoor activities (that thankfully have nothing to do with shooting things or trying to blow things up) are Kan Jam and football. I love the night versions of these games that have glow in the dark features since the kids can still enjoy them during the shorter winter days when it’s dark before we’ve even had dinner.
If your favorite teen boy is really into outdoor activities, you can help him chronicle and share his adventures with this GoPro camera.
If you’re looking for inexpensive stocking stuffers, the Wallet Ninja is a great choice since it’s functional and cool. I’m also a big fan of novelty flash drives since everyone needs a USB nowadays and the novelty versions let your teen display their personality.
One of my older son’s favorite gifts was a cologne set I gave him when he was 15. He was ready to move past Axe but didn’t know what he wanted.
I bought him a collection of different samples so he could find the scent that worked best for him before spending a ton of money on one bottle. I like this variety pack because it has such a diverse range of brands and scents.
Another of my son’s favorite gifts was his electric razor. Boys are super excited about shaving for about as long as girls are excited about getting their period.
It’s awesome to reach puberty, and then it’s just a chore. He loved the ease and speed of shaving with an electric razor.
Finally, one thing I’ve noticed about all teens is that they love to listen to music. Anything that helps them enjoy music everywhere is a welcome gift. This mini bluetooth speaker is the size of a ring box so your teen can bring it anywhere and it provides up to 12 hours of playtime.
And though I was happy when technology allowed me to swap out the big over-the-head headphones for ear buds, apparently the trend has reversed and those big bulky earpieces are all the rage. Beats by Dr. Dre are THE headphones right now (according to my teen sources).
I hope you’ve found some ideas to help you find the perfect gift for the teen boys on your list this year. Don’t forget to check out my other gift guides for more ideas for the other people on your list.