As great lovers of giving gifts, we especially love what we think of as “the practical gift,” something that hits that sweet spot of truly useful and totally delightful. With that said, getting a practical Mother’s Day gift right can be tricky. There’s a risk of picking out something that disappoints or outright offends Mom!
So, to help you get it practically perfect, we’ve rounded up the absolute best practical Mother’s Day gifts for every type of mother. Need more ideas? Check out our favorite gifts from Etsy, gifts from Target and gardening gifts.
Our pick for the best bidet attachment, the Tushy 3.0 is incredibly easy to install on a wide variety of toilets and even easier to enjoy. It’s a complete bathroom game changer we can’t recommend enough.
When asked about our own favorite robes, former senior lifestyle editor Rachel Lubitz declared had great things to say about this linen number: “The sleeves are a perfect length, and it drapes so elegantly from my shoulders. If you’re looking for a linen robe, this is the one to buy.” The robe comes in three colors: Light Gray, Gray Blue or Woodrose, a dusty-pink shade.
The outdoor gardener in your life will love this super-handy work stool that combines the features of a folding chair and a tool bag. The stool has 21 pockets to hold tools of all different sizes, keeping them right at hand when needed for repotting, weeding and pruning.
Even moms who aren’t that handy probably have some basic tools, but if you’re looking to upgrade hers, Character’s gorgeously appointed tool kit is a perfect choice. It comes with a hammer, a tape measure, a screwdriver, an adjustable wrench and pliers, along with a canvas organizer.
The viral Stanley tumbler is everywhere, so it’s possible that your mother already has one. But with new colors, a 40-ounce capacity, double-wall insulation, an ergonomic handle and a narrow base, maybe it’s time for a second?
We have officially found the perfect gift for the glamorous mom who suffers from allergies: a luxe box to make dispensing tissues an opulent affair.
You know what’s even better than a warm hug? A warm towel. A towel warmer feels like such a luxury, but it turns out that it’s a pretty affordable luxury. This bucket-style warmer can simply be plugged into an existing wall outlet.
For the mom who is obsessed with getting her steps in, the FYC walking pad is lightweight, easy to store and set up, and, best of all, it comes in pink!
This stylish sunglasses and/or eyeglasses case is tailor-made for the eyewear-obsessed mom. Choose from nine colors, including black and red, pink or tan.
Does your mom love to cook or have a passion for meal prep? This cleverly designed cutting board has a holder for storage containers, metal bakers or a strainer, so you can transfer food directly from the board.
For the mom who just wants some peace and quiet, how about some earplugs? Our reviewer praised Loop earplugs’ ability to “reduce the volume of loud events while still maintaining enough clarity for conversations.”
Save the citrus-loving mom a trip to the grocery store or farmers market by giving her the gift of on-demand lemons with a Meyer lemon tree that can be planted or grown in a container.
Upgrade Mom’s shower with a smart showerhead. This hand shower — which comes in Red, Yellow, Black and White — features a soap dish, cup and a magnetic phone holder so she can scroll or stream while she showers.
Flint’s retractable sticky rollers are so clever, and they make excellent gifts. Buy one for Mom in Classic Black or pick from five other colors, including Gold and Purple.
Make Mom’s car smell gorgeous with Diptyque’s beloved Baies scent, which is available as a car diffuser. For more auto scent ideas, check out our roundup of luxury car fresheners.
You might not be able to swing a Mediterranean vacation for Mother’s Day, but this set of four infused olive oils from Heraclea comes in a close second. They’re all bursting with flavor, but the lemon is our gift-guide editor’s personal favorite.
Level-up Mom’s daily shower with Goop’s 2-in-1 body wash and exfoliating scrub, part of Gwyneth Paltrow’s new line in partnership with Target.
Rocketbook’s digital notebook is the perfect gift for moms who prefer to take notes or write to-do lists by hand but who want the functionality a digital tool can provide, including being able to search by keyword.
Remind Mom that she’s the queen bee with this stylish and functional white marble spoon rest that features a honeycomb pattern adorned with gold bees.
Is your mom obsessed with CleanTok? She’ll love the super-popular Bissell SteamShot, a handheld steam cleaner and sanitizer that can be used for a wide range of seasonal and deep-cleaning jobs.
Compression socks are having a moment — and enjoying a stylish makeover. Treat Mom to a pair of Bombas’ medium-support compression socks that help to relieve pressure and soothe the feet and legs.
Tea towels are endlessly useful, and they become giftable when they feature a nod to Mom’s favorite show or shows. Of course, you’re not limited to Bravo; Etsy has a funny tea towel for every fandom and personality type.
A luxe upgrade is a great way to make a mundane-seeming item into a knock-their-socks-off gift. For example, pillowcases aren’t especially giftable, but silk pillowcases are. Fishers Finery is our pick for the best silk pillowcase.
Exercise mats have a life span. When they lose their loft or start showing signs of wear and tear like nicks, shredding or curling, it’s time for a new one. The Lululemon mat is our pick for best yoga mat, and it makes a great gift for active moms.
Charcuterie boards and their offspring, like butter boards, aren’t going away anytime soon. A heart-shaped serving board makes a great Mother’s Day gift for the hostess who is always on-trend.
The Whellen ring light is our pick for the best portable ring light. Our reviewer notes that it’s small enough to put in a pocket or purse, and features a clip mounting that fits on a phone or laptop without scratching the screen.
We named this bra the best sports bra for lounging and low-impact workouts, thanks to its snug, supportive fit; flattering scoop neck; thick racerback straps; and inclusive size range.
Béis suitcases and travel bags are the hot luggage right now. Treat Mom to a new weekend bag with Béis’ The Weekender, which comes in Beige as well as Black, Navy, Olive and other chic colors.
This under-$15 tool can core, chop and peel a pineapple, making expensive precut fruit a thing of the past. The pineapple enthusiasts among us love this tool and recommend it as a gift for the pineapple-loving mom.
It doesn’t get much more practical than a new pair of socks! This gift set comes in a decorative box and includes five pairs of ankle socks embroidered with a heart motif that’s a perfect way to show Mom you love her.
We live in an increasingly paperless world, which is great, but sometimes you just need to jot something down by hand. This gift set from Post-it includes a round notepad, a to-do list notepad, a numbered notepad and five felt-tip pens in a festive red-and-pink gift box.
A chic and imminently useful decorative box makes a great present on its own or as gift wrap for jewelry or grooming products.
Level up Mom’s smile with an electric toothbrush. Smile Brilliant’s CariPro toothbrush has five settings — Clean, White, Massage, Gum Care and Sensitive — so Mom can switch up her brush as she likes.
If your mom has a green thumb, a gardening planner can help her sort out what plants to purchase for her garden. For more gardening gift ideas, check out our guide to gardening for beginners.
The Moon Pod, a favorite among our staff, is a cloudlike chair designed to mimic the sensations of flotation therapy. Our reviewer especially loved it for storytime with her kids.
Beware the perils of giving a vacuum as a gift! Vacuums are a great practical gift idea, but you have to be very, very sure that your mother won’t be furious with you for giving her a household appliance. One way to get it right is to pick out a fun color, like this chili-red handheld vac.
It’s no fun holding hands when the hands are dry and chapped! This heart-shaped solid balm can be used to soothe and moisturize hands, or any other body part, and comes with a display dish that can be reused as a soap dish or trinket tray.
Bala Bangles are a must-have item for the workout enthusiast. The super-popular wrist and ankle weights come in loads of colors, so there’s sure to be a perfect shade for Mom.
In our testing of travel pillows, The Cabeau Evolution S3 stood out among the competition. Our reviewers call it “the Goldilocks of travel pillows.” They praised its design, which is firm enough to support the head and neck but soft enough to fall asleep on, and noted that it is eminently portable, thanks to the springy memory foam that enables you to compress it to half its size.
An indoor garden with an LED grow light is a perfect gift for a budding home cook, providing fresh herbs right when you need them. The easy-to-use gardening system comes with a gourmet seed kit featuring six herbs: Genovese basil, curly parsley, dill, thyme, Thai basil and mint.
A slightly different take on a gift for coffee lovers is to give the coffee itself. Show you’ve been paying attention by buying Mom’s favorite brand of coffee, or go with something truly adventurous, like this subscription to Atlas Coffee Club. The company can send a new bag of coffee from a different country every month.
Tech gadgets and accessories make great practical gift ideas for anyone. Look for options, such as this USB charging brick, that come in their favorite color to make them feel special to the occasion.
Massage guns are popular tools for post-workout recovery, making them a great gift for the runner, powerlifter or Pilates devotee in your life. While many massage guns can be bulky, loud and quite expensive, the Theragun Mini gets high marks for being quiet, small and comfortable to use. And its under-$200 price tag makes it a reasonable option for gifting.
What mom wouldn’t love a beautiful oversized throw blanket in a pretty shade?
Cosmetic cases are so useful, and having a collection in various shapes and sizes is a good idea for the frequent traveler or product enthusiast. Mark & Graham’s cosmetic case is a great addition to any collection of travel bags and can be monogrammed to feel extra special.
I was sent a Pura smart diffuser a few months ago, but I set it aside because I already had a traditional plug-in diffuser and I figured there wasn’t much difference. How wrong I was! When I finally set up the Pura I was absolutely WOWED by it. I love the scents, I love that you can program it to go on at certain times, I love that it allows you to adjust the scent’s potency and I especially love the customizable night-light feature. This thing is so cool, I’m giving one to everyone I know this year.
A small tape measure is one of those items that is absurdly handy, and a pretty one, like this Liberty print, is a great small gift idea. Toss it in a bag or a junk drawer and marvel at how many times you reach for it!
In our test of bath towels, Frontgate’s Resort Cotton Bath Towel was among the most luxurious, making it our pick for best towel. “Thick, soft and snuggly,” our reviewer says, “this product truly feels like a fine-hotel bathing experience,” which elevates towels from home basic to luxurious gift.
An extra-long charging cord is one of those “how did I ever live without this?!” items. This 6-foot charging cord comes in a variety of colors, elevating it from mundane tech accessory to a fun gift that also happens to be super useful.
Buffy, the maker of those cloudlike duvets, took the pregnancy pillow and redesigned it for the masses. The Wiggle Pillow is a floppy yet supportive, tie-able pillow that offers full-body support for sleeping or lounging. A removable, machine-washable cover is sold separately and available in 11 colors.
For the indoor gardener, this frame-style shelf fitted with a grow light is a functional showstopper. The frame is also fitted with a timer and is the perfect way to keep indoor plants and herbs happy and thriving in low-light settings.
Bath bombs and salts are old standards, but if you want to up your gift game for your bath-obsessed mom, this full-body bath pillow will take the experience to a whole new level.
People who are passionate about coffee are perfectly happy to own two, three, even four different coffee makers. Add one to their collection with this cheery red pour-over set, which comes with a ceramic dripper, glass server, scoop and filters.
Kitchen shears are such a useful thing to own, but they’re a bit on the practical side to give as a gift — unless you elevate the form. These gold-handled kitchen shears, which feature a micro-serrated blade edge that allows you to cut through anything with ease and a bottle opener built into the handle, fit the bill perfectly.
Everything you need to prep an avocado — from slicing to pitting — in one compact, dishwasher-safe tool. It’s an Underscored-reader favorite.
Serving spoons are endlessly useful items and an easy way to add a bit of whimsy to your kitchen. This hand-carved heart-shaped wooden spoon is a perfect way to remind Mom that you love her.