With Mother’s Day just around the corner, you might be scrambling for a last-minute gift. But even with all the time in the world, finding the perfect Mother’s Day gift can be hard, no matter how well you know your mother’s interests and tastes. While trying to come up with recommendations for flowers, cookware, subscription boxes, and more, we realized the best people who could recommend gifts for moms were, in fact, moms.
We enlisted the help of our moms and the moms of several staff members to curate a list of mom-approved and mom-loved gift ideas for Mother’s Day. They provided us with a wide variety of recommendations — from workout gear to home decor to skin care products and more — across a variety of price points. Some of these products might ship after Mother’s Day, but they may be worth the wait. And if you're in need of more inspiration, we've also listed out some of our other Mother's Day gift coverage.
- Unique Mother's Day gifts
- Mother's Day gifts for new moms
- Mother's Day gift baskets
- Mother's Day gifts for grandma
- Mother's Day flowers and plant arrangements
- Mother's Day subscription boxes
- Mother's Day cooking gifts
- Mother's Day gifts on Amazon with fast shipping
- Last-minute Mother’s Day gifts
Best mom-approved gift ideas
If you just aren’t sure what your mom might like this month, consider these recommendations from our staff’s moms and mothers on staff. Some are products we’ve highlighted before, and others are highly rated products, meaning other shoppers (besides our moms) love them too.
1-800-Flowers Mother’s Day Radiant Tulips
Select editor Gideon Grudo’s mom recommended sending flowers to the mother figure in your life — a classic Mother’s Day gift choice. This bouquet of tulips comes in two sizes — 15 stems and 30 stems — as well as in your choice of vase color: purple, clear or none. You can also add a suncatcher to your package for an additional fee if you purchase 30 stems.
Atlas Coffee Club Subscription
Select photo editor Becca Delman said that, as a new mom, she wants “lots of caffeine since my child refuses to sleep.” Fortunately for Delman, and all caffeine-loving moms out there, Atlas Coffee Club is offering discounts on its coffee subscriptions for Mother’s Day, including the starter pack 3-month gift subscription, standard 6-month and coffee lover 12-month gift subscriptions. Every month, your recipient will receive coffee (either one bag, two bags or half a bag), their tasting profiles, suggestions for brewing and a postcard representing each coffee’s country of origin.
Baloo Weighted Blanket
Select writer Zoe Malin’s mom uses this weighted blanket every night, which is an expert-recommended and Consumer Reports-approved option. This blanket can be ordered in varying weights from 12 to 25 pounds and in varying sizes from Throw to King. It comes in two colors: Pebbled White and Clay. Baloo says this blanket is machine-washable and dryer-safe.
MagSafe Battery Pack for iPhones
This portable battery pack has perfectly aligned magnets to pair with several iPhone models after the iPhone 12 for safe wireless charging. According to Apple, this charger won’t interfere with any credit cards or key fobs you might have. Additionally, you can charge your battery pack separately from your phone, or, using a 20W or higher power adapter, you can charge both at the same time. Select writer Rebecca Rodriguez’s mom raved about hers so much that Rodriguez bought her own.
Foreo Luna 3
Rodriguez’s brother initially got both Rodriguez and her mom hooked on the Foreo Luna face cleansing brush. The smart massaging and cleansing brush connects to the Foreo app, which offers a series of guided massage treatments. The device is offered in three different bristles for sensitive, normal and combination skin types.
Nixplay 10-Inch Smart Photo Frame
Select writer Gabriella DePinho’s mom is notorious among family members for taking tons of pictures at each get-together, but never printing them out. DePinho and her two siblings gifted their mom this smart photo frame to resolve this problem. It worked, and now the frame sits in their living room showcasing over 100 photos. The frame pairs with Nixplay’s app, where you can add photos to your frame and curate playlists. The frame can be mounted on the wall or sit on a table and it can be displayed vertically or horizontally. You can choose to buy the frame with or without Nixplay Plus, a subscription that allows you to connect with up to 10 frames and upload longer videos.
On Cloudflow Running Shoes
Jennifer Birkhofer, NBC’s vice president of commerce — and a new mom herself — wears these shoes all the time, whether she’s going for a run or running errands. “My husband thought they looked so cool that he actually bought himself some,” she said. The shoes use the company’s zero gravity foam and 18-cloud cushioning, which the brand says provide “spring comfort,” while the mesh upper provides ventilation.
Winc Wine Subscription
Relaxing with a glass of wine is a great way to spend Mother’s Day with mom. Grudo’s mom recommended a wine subscription so you can try new, tasty wines year round, and this subscription from Winc is one of our favorite wine subscription services. You start by filling out a short questionnaire on your tastes and the service suggests some wines for you to try in your first order. You can gift mom a one-month, two-month or three-month subscription.
Eufy BoostIQ RoboVac
Select writer Justin Redman’s mom loves her Eufy RoboVac so much that she now has a small army of them roaming both floors of her home. It can vacuum wood floors for up to 100 minutes on a single charge, according to the brand — once it gets low on battery, it will automatically find its way back to the included charging dock. The vacuum also has an infrared sensor for detecting objects. Redman also has one for his own apartment and says that while it’s not the most powerful vacuum, it does well at picking up dust and making his space feel cleaner.
Rachael Ray 12-Piece Cookware Set
Redman bought this nonstick set for himself at his mom’s recommendation — DePinho’s family also uses it. It comes with 12 pieces made from aluminum and porcelain, including a pot and several pans, as well as lids for all of the items, a spoon and a slotted spatula. The brand says the pots and pans are oven-safe up to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. It comes in seven colors, including Pumpkin Orange (Redman’s color of choice) and Agave Blue (DePinho’s color of choice).
INSMY Portable Speaker
Select writer Mili Godio bought this portable speaker for her mom last year and her mom loves it. Godio’s mom lives in Florida so she regularly takes it to the beach with her since it’s water-resistant, according to the brand. It comes in six colors and, according to the brand, it offers up to 12 hours of playtime after just a three-hour charge. It’s a budget-friendly option for someone looking to treat their mom to new tech, and it comes highly rated with a 4.6-star average rating from over 20,000 reviews on Amazon.
Elegant Orchid
Redman’s mom loves orchids, and she used to get one for her mother every year on Mother’s Day. She described them as “the gift that keeps on returning” — they always rebloom and are easy to take care of, she explained. This orchid is available in both white and purple colors and comes in a 5-inch by 5-inch by 5-inch glass planter.
Great Jones Hot Dish
Malin bought this dish from Select reader favorite brand Great Jones for her mom so she can have a dedicated pan to make her lasagna in. The ceramic dish is oven-safe up to 500 degrees Fahrenheit, and is also freezer-, microwave- and dishwasher-safe, according to the brand. It comes in five colors, including this new Taffy Pink.
Stitch Fix
If your mom’s wardrobe could use an update but she isn’t sure where to start, she might be interested in Stitch Fix. Stitch Fix doesn’t require a subscription, but it is an option — your mom can choose to subscribe or just try one box. Stitch Fix users can take a quiz that creates a profile based on their taste, budget and fit, which connects them to a personal stylist. They’ll get several curated items sent to them, along with a list of prices — any returns are free. DePinho’s mom has used Stitch Fix for years, and she gifted DePinho a box to try upon her college graduation.
Apple TV 4K
This device is what convinced Malin’s mom to cut the cable cord for good. It offers 4K High Frame Rate and Dolby Atmos sound capabilities, according to Apple. You can stream content from a wide variety of streaming services, as well as access live channels from Hulu, Youtube TV and Sling (with subscriptions). It comes with a Siri-enabled remote, a power cord and a USB-C cable, though you have to provide your own HDMI cord.
Classic Games Collection 15-Inch Attache Backgammon Set
Select writer Shari Uyehara’s mom loves playing backgammon, and board games can be a great way to bond with your mom along with the rest of the family. This backgammon set comes in a 15-inch attache case with a cloth playing surface and includes 30 game pieces, two dice cups, a doubling cube and dice. Every piece can be stored within the case, which has two latches to keep it closed. If backgammon isn’t your thing, check out our other board game recommendations for kids and adults.
Parachute Waffle Robe
Birkhofer considers herself a “robe connoisseur,” having tried multiple options from multiple brands, and this lightweight robe from Parachute, one of our favorite brands, is by far her favorite. She loves that “it comes in nice neutral colors that hide spit-up stains and peanut butter hand stains.” There are four of those neutral colors to choose from, and it’s available in sizes Small to 3XL.
Custom Watercolor House Portrait
DePinho’s sister gave their mom this custom watercolor house portrait from Etsy for Christmas and DePinho’s mom absolutely adores it. When you place the order, you can select whether you want it as a digital download, a watercolor print or a canvas, and you can also choose what size you’d like it to be. You then email the artist a photo of the home you’d like painted and what text you’d like at the bottom. DePinho’s mom loves hers so much, she’s planning to gift it to a relative that’s moving this year.
Bala Bangles
Ever since Select editor Morgan Greenwald’s stepmom got surgery on her hand, she said that her Bala Bangles are her “new favorite” for light resistance training. Bala Bangles weigh either one or two pounds each and are made of recycled steel covered in silicone. The Bangles come in Charcoal, Blush, Sea, Sage, Heather, Shine and Sand colors. They are also a Select favorite ankle and wrist weight.
Dyson Supersonic Hair Dryer
Birkhofer’s mom gifted her this Dyson hair dryer — one of our favorite blow dryers — and she said it hasn’t disappointed, despite her concerns it would be overrated “because there's so much hype around it on the internet and social media.” The Supersonic dries her hair quickly (it’s got three speed settings) and Birkhofer appreciates its small size as well as the included attachments.
Sisley Soir De Lune
Greenwald’s mom loves her Sisley Soir De Lune fragrance. It comes in three sizes: 30 milliliters, 50 milliliters and 100 milliliters. The brand says it has top notes of bergamot, mandarin, lemon, coriander, nutmeg and pepper, middle notes of jasmine, may rose absolute, iris, lily of the valley, mimosa absolute and peach and base notes of musk, honey, sandalwood, patchouli and cedar.
Instant Pot 11-in-1 Air Fryer + Electric Pressure Cooker
The 8-quart air fryer and electric pressure cooker allows the user to use it in 11 different ways, such as for roasting, broiling, and dehydrating, to name a few. DePinho’s mom, who just received this during the 2021 holiday season, loves the slow cooker feature the most. The inner pot and all of the accessories are dishwasher-safe, according to the brand. DePinho’s mom called it “a Godsend” for busy people and loves that she can have dinner cooking while she works.
Pura Smart Home Fragrance Diffuser
This fragrance diffuser can be controlled from the Pura app so you can schedule when the scent is released. The device can also hold two scents at once and it has a color wheel LED light to double as an ambient nightlight. Select writer Malin joked, “My mom should be an influencer for this company. She’s obsessed with it.” Malin’s mom has even gotten other relatives to try it out for their own homes.
Bose QuietComfort Earbuds
Greenwald’s stepmom recommended these Bose wireless earbuds. They feature acoustic noise canceling technology, which detects outside sounds and cancels them using the opposite signal, according to the brand. The earbuds also last up to 6 hours on a single charge, Bose says. Included are small and large ear tips, a USB-C charging cable and a charging case.
Peter Thomas Roth Mask to the Max! Face Mask Kit
Birkhofer purchased this for herself earlier this year and she says she’s obsessed with the kit. As a new mom, she has been looking for ways to recreate a spa day in the comfort of her own home. The four masks feature hydrating ingredients, as well as hyaluronic acid, cucumber extract and colloidal gold, according to the brand. The brand says the masks are good for addressing fine lines, dryness and loss of firmness in the skin.
Smeg Milk Frother
Rodriguez’s mom loves her Smeg Milk Frother — its retro mid-century look and electric induction heating make it both a stylish and functional add to a coffee lover’s countertop. It’s made of stainless steel and can froth both warm and cold milk. We’ve previously recommended Smeg products in our guide to juicers.
Vitamix A3500
Greenwald’s stepmom’s versatile Vitamix blender has five preset settings for making dips and spreads, frozen desserts, hot soups and smoothies as well as a pulse mode and variable speed control. Its motor base can change settings automatically depending on the size of the container you use to blend, the brand says.
Related
Catch up on Select's in-depth coverage of personal finance, tech and tools, wellness and more, and follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to stay up to date.