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When it comes to gifts for grandpa, it’s the thought that counts—but the thought counts even more when you go out of your way to find him something that’s useful and inspiring. The best gifts show that you’re paying attention to what he cares about. Even better, some gifts on this list—like a yoga mat, a hiking day pack, or a custom puzzle—are an invitation to join him in the things he loves.
Our list of 19 items are great options for holiday, birthday, or “just because” gifts.
Shopping for someone you care about? Check out the best hearing aids and best medical alert systems on the market today.
If your grandpa enjoys cooking but doesn’t do it as often as he used to, this may be a fun way to invite him back into the kitchen. You could even cook with him, as each meal serves at least two people. When we tested the best meal delivery services, our testers praised Blue Apron for the fresh ingredients. They also said the meals were easy to make and required minimal clean-up. Blue Apron also offers pre-made meals if your grandpa doesn’t enjoy cooking.
While this isn’t a gift to surprise grandpa with—you’ll need his buy-in and involvement—it is a gift with a lot of potential benefits, as untreated hearing loss is linked to higher rates of cognitive decline and depression. We love this functional over-the-counter hearing aid option, and we think it’s great that the Jabra Enhance Audiology Team can help grandpa set up and start using his hearing aids.
For a grandfather who enjoys a cup of tea or coffee, this is a great gift to keep him fueled up on chilly days. You can choose from seven core colors or four seasonal colors to match grandpa’s style, and you can personalize the bottle by adding a monogram, a message, or even an NFL logo. Chances are, grandpa will love this stylish, easy-to-clean, on-the-go mug.
If your grandpa loves to walk or hike, but sometimes has achey, sore legs—this is the gift for him. These knee-high socks offer targeted compression around the ankle with slightly less compression in the calf, for support without discomfort. We love that they come in seven different color combinations, but our favorite is the navy, olive, and gray mix pictured here.
The Wonderbly Your Life in Newspaper Headlines birthday book is a highly personalized look at the world, as seen from one day throughout history (in this case, your grandfather’s birthday!). The book is beautifully bound with your choice of cover designs and the option to include a personalized memo on the dedication page. We like that this book includes all kinds of headlines, from the serious and important to the silly and mundane. It is a great way for your grandfather and you to read through some of the major events he has lived through.
We love a personalized gift, and this one is so easy to make. Just upload a photo, add some text, and add it to your cart. The puzzle will arrive in a beautiful hinged keepsake box. This gift isn’t just a sweet reminder of family love, it’s also an activity to complete when the family is together or a good way for grandpa to be reminded of family when they’re away.
According to Manduka, this is their most popular mat among yoga teachers, and we can see why. It’s dense enough to provide cushioning and support joints, and it has a grippy surface to keep things in the right place while you move.
Users should know: If you want to break in your mat quickly, Manduka recommends sprinkling coarse sea salt across your mat, then letting it set for 24 hours. Then, spray with water, scrub the salt with a towel, and wipe clean. Let the mat dry and then stretch away.
Indoor temperature and humidity can affect allergies, sleep, and your respiratory system, so this is a useful gift for anyone who still has a traditional thermostat in their home (which often doesn’t offer a humidity reading). Even if grandpa does have a smart thermostat, this is a good-looking nod to his interest in all things weather, even the indoor kind.
This day back is a great companion for hikes or beach days, and it makes a great carry-on. For a grandpa on the go, this day pack offers comfort and convenience. It holds everything you need for a day hike, and has side compartments for water bottles. We love that it comes in three colors and is made from recycled polyester.
This is a classic, elegant watch with a casual style. We love how the strap can be switched out for new colors, and we like how the Indiglo watch face lights up so you can see what time it is in the dark. Even if your grandpa has a smartwatch, this analog watch is a nice addition to any collection or for dressier occassions.
This journal will let grandpa show the grandkids a cool trick (writing in the rain!) and also serves the functional purpose of taking field notes on a rainy day (or even in the shower). This is a great gift for nature lovers, hikers, and avid writers—anyone who needs to jot down their free-flowing ideas, even in a downpour.
It’s nice to text or email photos to family, but we love the idea of a digital frame that displays the photos in an attractive frame to enjoy all day, from your own home. Using the Skylight app, you can upload photos at any time and they’ll appear in the Skylight frame within seconds. While you need internet access to upload photos to the frame, no wifi is required to view the images.
This woman-owned California-based company sources California Extra Virgin Olive Oil and dresses it up with herbs and spices. This is a great addition to any kitchen, as it can add a delicious finishing touch to all kinds of dishes, from pizza to eggs to breakfast toast. This is a great gift option if your grandpa likes to add some spice to his food.
This sturdy winter hat is an attractive and extra-warm option for the coldest days. Its double ear flaps (a large and a small) provide extra warmth, and it will repel moisture while keeping you cozy. We like that it comes in four sizes so you can get just the right fit.
We love the idea of taking 10 minutes each day to learn something new from the comfort of your own home. Learning new things can open your world to new possibilities, and MasterClass offers classes on topics like science, cooking, wellness, art, writing, and more. We love the Jon Kabat-Zinn meditation and mindfulness MasterClass.
Basic plans start at $120 per year and give you access to all the classes, but upgrading to the Plus ($180) or Premium ($240) plans lets you download the videos or view them across multiple devices.
In 2010, Brandon Stanton began taking portraits of everyday people in New York City, recording their stories as he did so. His blog, “Humans of New York,” became hugely popular, and in 2013 he published a book documenting his work.
We think this makes a great gift book because there’s truly a story for everyone inside its pages. Grandpa will enjoy reading it and sharing it with friends and family. You can also feel good about supporting independent bookstores when you buy from Bookshop.org.
We love this face wash that can also work for grandpa’s beard. It’s made of naturally exfoliating ingredients and creates a thick foam with a zesty citrus scent. When you gift this to grandpa, pair it with a bottle of sunscreen for a major skin care upgrade!
This is a well-constructed golf shirt with lots of benefits, like moisture wicking, easy-care fabric, and UV protection. Not every grandpa plays golf, but this shirt’s fun print makes it easy to wear beyond the golf course. The shirt is machine-washable with minimal wrinkling, and its anti-microbial finish helps limit body odor.
Purchasing an AHS membership for your grandpa not only gets him free admission and discounts at botanical gardens across the country, it also helps support an organization dedicated to horticultural education. This is a great gift for gardening grandpas, or anyone who loves to take a meditative stroll through a beautiful garden. Plus, it comes with a subscription to The American Gardener magazine he can enjoy all year long.
Our Reviews Team created this gift guide by considering the needs and preferences of NCOA readers and people looking for gifts for a grandfather. We want to highlight useful items to support movement and exercise, creativity or curiosity, and help build connections with family and friends. We selected the products and brands in this roundup through careful research, mystery shopping, and our own experiences.
A gift doesn’t have to be expensive to be meaningful. The gifts on our list start at $9 and go up to $180 or more in the case of subscriptions and one big-ticket item (the Jabra hearing aids.) Items priced at $25 and below include the analog thermometer and humidity gauge, the weatherproof journal, and the YETI HotShot mug. Mid-priced items include the personalized puzzle, the L.L. Bean day pack, and Singer Heater Hat. If you want to treat grandpa to one of the higher-priced items—like a Timex watch, a MasterClass subscription, or a pair of hearing aids—consider going in on the gift with other family members.
Sweaters and coffee mugs are nice, but we tried to think outside of the box for these gifts for grandpa. We looked for items that can help grandpa engage with his interests—be it cooking, nature, or puzzles. And don’t forget that the right gift can be a great way to spend quality time with grandpa yourself, by joining in on completing a puzzle, for example, or joining him (and his new yoga mat) for a yoga class.
Choose gifts that help grandpa connect—to his interests, to his family, and to other people in his life. A yoga mat, for example, may encourage him to join group fitness classes. A day pack will get him outside, connecting with nature. A custom puzzle or digital frame is a great way for you to connect with your grandpa, either from afar or during your next visit.
The best gift for your grandpa is the one that shows you understand his interests and care about his well-being. We chose unique gifts to help grandpa engage in his favorite activities, whether that’s being out in nature, cooking delicious meals, or learning something new. The items on our list are meant to work for a variety of budgets, with items ranging from $9 to over $200. We did include one splurge item on this list—a pair of OTC hearing aids—that might be a good gift for multiple family members to buy together.
It’s definitely the thought that counts when it comes to giving grandpa a gift, but putting a little extra thought into his gift couldn’t hurt. Find him a gift that shows you care about his interests and love spending time with him.
How much you spend on a gift for grandpa depends on your budget. Our list of the best gifts for grandpas offers options starting at $9, with higher priced items that might be good to purchase with multiple family members.
Every grandpa is different, so the types of gifts you select for your grandfather should be based on his interests and hobbies. In general, gifts that help grandma learn new things and stay active can be good options.
Personalized gifts are a great way to show grandpa you care. Consider a custom puzzle made from a family photo, or a digital frame that displays family photos.
Have questions about this review? Email us at reviewsteam@ncoa.org.
