Best Gifts for a Daughter

An insulated stainless bottle with a lid offering both a straw and a wide sip opening, and a folding carry loop.

The pick that sounds dull and gets carried more than anything else on this page. The FreeSip is an insulated stainless bottle with a lid offering both a straw and a wide sip opening, plus a folding carry loop, and the two-way lid is the whole reason it works: sipping at a desk and gulping after exercise are different actions, and most bottles only do one. The locking lid survives a schoolbag without leaking, which is the specification that decides whether a bottle gets taken to school twice. The color range is a large part of why teenagers actually carry it, so let her choose if you can. Two honest points. The straw lid has parts that need cleaning, so it is slightly more work than a plain bottle. And the large sizes are genuinely heavy when full, which matters for a younger child.

A thick overnight lip balm in a small pot, sold in several scents.

The pick for the small slot across the widest age range here. A thick overnight lip balm in a small pot: it gets applied every night, a pot lasts months, and dry lips are near-universal in a centrally heated house in winter. It is a comfort item rather than a corrective one, which is what makes it safe to give a teenager without it reading as a comment about her appearance — a distinction worth holding onto in this category generally. It is also the right size to pair with something larger or to be the whole of a stocking. Two caveats. It is scented and comes in several scents, so pick the plainest option if you are unsure about sensitivities. And the pot-and-fingers application does not suit everyone; some people want a stick they can use without washing their hands.

Bluetooth earbuds with active noise canceling, a charging case and an app for adjusting the sound.

The pick for a teenager, and the one most likely to be in daily use a year from now. These are Bluetooth earbuds with active noise canceling, a charging case and an app for adjusting the sound, and the case for them over the obvious premium alternative is straightforward: noise canceling at a fraction of the price, and losing one is survivable. That last point is not a joke — earbuds get lost, and the right gift is the one whose loss is annoying rather than expensive. They also work with both iPhone and Android, which is not true of every alternative and matters if you do not know what she will have next. Two limits. Battery life is shorter than premium models, so a long flight needs the case. And fit varies between ears, so she may need the alternative tips in the box.

A large insulated tumbler with a handle, a straw and a tapered base that fits a cupholder.

The pick when social currency is part of the gift, which for a teenager it legitimately is. A large insulated tumbler with a handle, a straw and a tapered base that fits a cupholder — and the handle and straw are genuinely why people drink more water from it than from a bottle, rather than being styling. It holds enough to cover most of a day. The huge color range means it can be matched to a taste, and letting her pick the color is usually better than surprising her with one. Two warnings worth taking seriously. It is extremely popular, so check she does not already have one, because this is the single most duplicated gift in this category. And it is too tall for some cupholders and some kitchen cabinets, which is a real annoyance rather than a trivial one.

The smaller-cased sibling of the G-Shock: shock resistant, 100 meters water resistant, resin case, digital or ana-digi display.

The pick for a daughter young enough that this is her first proper watch. The Baby-G is the smaller-cased sibling of the G-Shock — shock resistant, rated to 100 meters of water resistance, resin case, digital or ana-digi display — and it is designed to be the watch a child cannot break. A 100-meter rating covers swimming with no thought required, and the resin case means a knock against a door frame is a non-event. The colorways read as fun rather than sports-serious, which is what gets it worn rather than put in a drawer. It is also a real watch rather than a toy, which children notice. Two honest points. A resin case will never pass as dressy, so it is the wrong pick for a formal occasion. And some models have busy dials with a lot of printed text, so look at the specific reference rather than the line.

A simple instant camera with automatic exposure, a close-up mode and a selfie mirror.

The pick with the widest age range on the page, and the one most likely to be used socially. The Instax Mini 12 is fully automatic — point, press, and a print appears in about thirty seconds — with a close-up mode and a selfie mirror. It works because the photographs come out as objects: a print that goes on a wall or in a locker is looked at, where a phone photo is scrolled past. For a teenager it becomes a group activity, which is more than most gifts manage. Two caveats to plan around. Film is an ongoing cost, so always gift a couple of packs with the camera rather than leaving her to work out what to buy. And indoor shots need the flash and still come out dim at any distance, so it is a camera for arm's-length pictures of people rather than for a room or a view.

Small round crystal-set stud earrings in gold-tone plating, sold in a branded box.

The pick when jewelry is the right idea. Studs are the lowest-risk jewelry gift there is: they suit nearly every ear and nearly every outfit, they need no measurement, and they do not compete with whatever she already wears. These come in gold- or silver-tone plating in a branded box, which means no extra wrapping and a gift that looks like a gift the moment it is handed over. For a first proper jewelry gift to a teenager, studs in a box are close to ideal. Two things to check. Plating wears over years of daily use, so this is a nice thing rather than an heirloom. And metal sensitivities are common, especially in newly pierced ears, so confirm before buying rather than after.

A waterproof e-reader with an adjustable warm front light and weeks of battery life.

The pick for an adult daughter who reads, and a strong one for a teenager who does. The front light is adjustable and warm, so it works in a dim room without the glare of a tablet; the battery runs for weeks rather than hours, so there is no daily charging ritual; and it is waterproof, which makes the bath, the beach and the pool all fine. For somebody who commutes or travels it replaces a bag full of books. It is also the gift least likely to be duplicated by somebody else. Two real limits. A committed print reader may simply not want one, and no specification argues with that. And her existing paper library does not transfer, so anything she already owns has to be bought again digitally — worth knowing before you suggest it holds all her books.

A small, thin women's watch in Fossil's best-known line, with interchangeable straps and a range of dial finishes.

The pick when the gift should look like jewelry and still tell the time. The Carlie is a small, thin women's watch in Fossil's best-known line, with interchangeable straps and a range of dial finishes, and the small case is the point: it reads as jewelry rather than as a gadget, which is what most people actually want from a first nice watch. Straps swap easily, so one watch covers several outfits, and because the line is sold everywhere, exchanges and returns are simple — a genuine advantage for a gift bought without her present. Two honest points. It is fashion-brand quartz, so it is a nice object rather than a lasting heirloom, and anybody hoping for mechanical interest should look elsewhere. And plated finishes wear over years of daily use.

Apple's entry smartwatch: notifications, workouts, heart rate, fall detection and Apple Pay, paired to an iPhone.

The pick when the main gift is a device and she already has an iPhone. The SE is Apple's entry smartwatch: notifications, workouts, heart rate, fall detection and Apple Pay, and it is genuinely useful every day in a way almost nothing else at this money can claim. For a teenager who already lives inside an iPhone it is close to the default, and for an adult daughter who exercises it earns its place on the workout tracking alone. Two hard limits to check before you spend. It requires an iPhone, so it is completely useless to an Android user — confirm this rather than assuming. And it charges nightly, which some people never adapt to, so it is the wrong gift for somebody who liked the idea of a watch she never has to think about. If that describes her, buy a light-powered watch instead.