28 Christmas Gifts for 16-Year-Old Boys

Any teen whose friends crowd his couch for Nintendo games can pass a spare Joy-Con 2 pair to whoever waits a turn.

He chooses which multiplayer titles his crew plays now, so more hands on the controls means nobody sits out. The extra controllers wait beside his console for the next friend through the door.

College visits are coming up for plenty of juniors, and a slim leather Samsonite looks right on a campus tour in a way a worn school bag does not.

Its trim shape stays close behind him through crowded halls, with a charger and notebook inside, and it keeps looking right long after the tours are done.

A teenager with a weekend job outdoors gets a Carhartt cuffed beanie that looks right with his work gear.

The same workwear name shows up on the older guys he works beside, so the hat matches the job. Between tasks, he folds the cuff up or pulls it down over his ears.

This adidas body spray set gives a high schooler a choice of scents for every morning.

He can spray on a different one after gym class and see which he likes most. Rotating between them lets him settle on the one he keeps reaching for.

Friends who finish each other's sentences can put that knack to work in The Mind, where the whole table plays as one team.

Everyone wins or loses together, so each round turns on how well the group reads one another. Over winter break, he can deal a hand on the bedroom floor and see how far they get.

Give a teen who trades photos with friends a Polaroid Now, and his favorite moments turn into prints he can pin up.

He chooses which shots are worth keeping, and once the color film in the box runs out, he'll need refills.

His house is where friends tend to land, and this PRO-SPIN kit turns the dining table into a place to rally.

The net grips the edge of a table or desk, so nobody needs a full-size setup in the basement. Two play while the others line up to face the winner, and the net comes off when dinner needs the space.

On an empty baseball diamond, a teen curious about why things fly can crease a plane and steer it from his phone.

He will need the POWERUP 4.0 app on that phone before the first flight. When a design dips early, he can refold the wings wider and launch again to see whether it climbs.

Brush strokes on a Buddha Board give a teen who sketches with care a looser way to draw, where nothing needs finishing.

He plans every pencil line in his sketchbook, so a brush lets him try out rough shapes instead. The quick figures he roughs out at his desk become a warm-up before homework.

Aim matters in PC shooters, and long nights with his squad call for a mouse he can rest his hand on for hours.

The Razer DeathAdder Essential has a contoured body that settles under his palm, and the cable means no battery quitting halfway through a round.

This wired Acer gaming mouse fits a high schooler who plays PC games with his friends.

Online matches fill his free time, so a mouse made for play earns the desk spot. After school, he plugs the cord into his PC and joins his squad's next match.

Beats Solo 4 headphones put a music-loving high schooler's playlists and videos right at his ears.

His songs and videos already live on his phone, so he pairs the headphones and listens anywhere. On the bus to school, he slips them on and starts the next podcast episode.

This gaming headset works with PlayStation, Xbox or Switch, so it fits whichever console a teen gamer owns.

The mic carries each callout to his friends while they plan their next push together. Between games, he hangs it beside the console until the next invite arrives.

A high schooler with a phone full of photos can print his favorites on the KODAK Dock Plus.

He picks which moments get printed, so shots of his crew stop vanishing into his camera roll. Then he tucks the prints around his mirror frame, where friends spot them when they stop by.

Pulled from a stocking on Christmas morning, KontrolFreek FPS Freek Galaxy caps go onto the sticks of a teen gamer's Xbox controller.

Shooter matches with friends fill his evenings, so the change lands right where his thumbs steer and aim. They stay on the gamepad for every lobby he joins after that.

The UGREEN magnetic power bank keeps a busy high schooler's phone going on long days away from home.

After practice he heads out with friends, and the pack rides on the back of his phone while it charges. Just check that his phone takes a magnetic pack before you order.

When the teen you're buying for hosts friends over the holidays, Exploding Kittens gives the group a board game to crowd around.

His crowd turns every hangout into a rivalry, and a night of rounds gives that trash talk somewhere to land. The box stays on the coffee table until the last friend's ride pulls up.

Super Mario RPG fits a teen with a Switch who would rather plan each turn than rush through a quick match.

Its battles reward thinking ahead, and the story gives his patient streak a long quest to follow at his own pace.

A sharp-eyed teen who argues with friends over whether a hoodie is navy or black gets that debate as a party game.

He picks a square in secret, then hunts for a short hint that steers his crew toward it. At a birthday sleepover, he can let a friend who keeps missing take the next turn choosing the secret color.

Giant UNO brings the card game in supersized form to a high schooler with younger siblings at home.

The maker rates it for ages 7 and up, so his kid sister can play alongside him. On a rainy Saturday, they can spread the big cards across the living room floor.

Big Potato Tilt 'n' Shout is made for a teen whose friends would rather tilt and shout than sit through a rulebook.

Friends turn up at his place unplanned, and his crew starts tilting and yelling the moment they walk in.

Opened on Christmas morning, this ProsourceFit mat gives his martial arts practice a cushioned spot at home.

After each class, he can unfold it and go over the new form while it is still fresh, then fold it flat behind his closet door.

This belt keeps a drink at the hip, so a teen training for a spring road race can stay out longer.

He already tracks his routes on his phone, and a quick sip partway lets him push past his usual turnaround. Along a riverside path, he can drink at a bench and carry on without heading home.

The Under Armour Undeniable 5.0 Duffle is a gym bag for a teen who lifts before school.

His day starts in the weight room, so the duffel holds his lifting gear and class clothes.

This alcohol marker set lets a high school sketcher bring color to the comics and characters he draws.

He already fills notebook margins with heroes, and markers take those pages from pencil to full color. After homework, he can sketch a new comic page and fill each panel with color.

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens makes a practical Christmas gift for a teen boy.

He can read it over winter break before the new semester. It then sits on his desk beside his planner.

Spy x Family, Vol. 1 makes a Christmas gift for a teen manga fan starting a new series.

He can read it on Christmas afternoon. Later volumes can line up beside it on his shelf.

The Martian by Andy Weir makes a Christmas gift for a teen boy keen on space.

He can tear through it over the winter break. Afterward, it is easy to lend to a friend from school.