Gifts for Teenage Boys: Cool Picks They'll Actually Use

Triggers that switch between linear Hall Effect and clicky tactile modes are the headline on the 8BitDo Ultimate 2 Wireless Controller with Charging Dock, and the dock gives it a home on the desk. It adds two back buttons, motion control and an RGB ring of light around the sticks. It works with Windows PCs and Android, so it suits the PC gamer more than the console player.

One AA battery keeps the Logitech G305 Lightspeed Wireless Gaming Mouse going for about 250 hours of play, so there’s no charging cable on the desk. Its HERO sensor reaches 12,000 DPI, the wireless runs at a 1 millisecond report rate, and the receiver stores inside the mouse for travel. It’s a solid first real gaming mouse for a teen still using whatever came with the family computer.

For the Minecraft fan, the Minecraft Light-Up Redstone Ore puts an officially licensed block on the desk, with three light levels you switch with a tap. It’s a small add-on that pairs well with a bigger gift.

Drifting blue stars over a color-shifting nebula fill the ceiling once the BlissLights Sky Lite 2.0 Star Projector is switched on. It runs from buttons on the unit or a Bluetooth app that doesn’t ask for location or storage access. It’s the quickest way on this list to make a plain bedroom or gaming corner feel moody.

Everything glows on the SKLZ Pro Mini Hoop Midnight: the graphics, the net and the 5-inch ball, so lights-out doesn’t end the game. It hangs over a door on padded mounts with no drilling, and the 9-inch steel rim has a spring-action breakaway for dunks. Give it to the kid who shoots socks into the hamper.

Then there’s the CASOFU Burrito Tortilla Throw Blanket, a 71-inch flannel throw printed on both sides to look like a toasted tortilla. It’s a joke for the first five minutes and a warm, machine-washable couch blanket after that. It suits the teen who is always cold, or always making food jokes.

Crank the handle on the ROKR Marble Run 3D Wooden Puzzle and a waterwheel lifts marbles to the top before sending them down the tracks. It’s 254 laser-cut plywood pieces that fit together without glue, with gears, cams and ratchets on display once it’s done. Rated 14 and up, it’s a few evenings of building for the teen who likes to see how machines work.

With the ELEGOO UNO R3 Super Starter Kit, the first lesson blinks an LED and later ones run servos, stepper motors, sensors and an LCD screen. More than 22 guided projects use an Arduino-compatible board and a solderless breadboard, so no soldering iron is involved. It’s a strong pick for a teen curious about coding who wants to see his code move something real.

A Bluetooth chip inside the GAN 356 i Carry S Smart Speed Cube sends every turn to a phone app, which times solves, counts moves and teaches beginners a 7-step method. Two included button batteries last around 330 hours, so there’s nothing to charge. It suits both the kid learning his first solve and the one chasing a faster time against players online.

Small enough for a pocket, the Hanayama Huzzle Cast UFO Puzzle is a tiny flying saucer that you have to take apart and put back together. Hanayama rates it 4 out of 6 for difficulty, and it takes dexterity as well as logic. It makes a good stocking stuffer for the teen who likes riddles.

The Spikeball 3-Ball Original Roundnet Set needs four players, a hula-hoop-sized net at ankle height and a palm-sized ball. Teams smack the ball off the net at each other with up to three touches per side, volleyball style, and it plays on grass, sand or indoors. It’s the pick for a teen with a group of friends and a free afternoon.

Any table up to six feet long becomes a ping pong table with Franklin Sports Table Tennis To Go, a retractable net that clamps on, plus two paddles and two balls in a mesh bag. It’s a good answer to a rainy weekend for a family without space for a real table. Toss a few extra balls in with it.

Thirty little craters give the Waboba NASA Moon Ball its high, unpredictable bounce and a pop every time it hits a hard surface. It fits in one hand and suits the kid who bounces anything he can find off the driveway. Keep it away from the breakables indoors.

Night games get easier with the Redux LED Capture the Flag Kit, where the flag is a glowing orb that lights up after sundown. It has 23 glowing pieces, 12 bonus challenges and batteries rated for more than 12 hours. With an age range of 8 and up, it works for sleepovers and big family get-togethers alike.

Playing a burrito card in the Throw Throw Burrito Dodgeball Card Game gives players permission to grab one of two foam burritos and start throwing. Between battles it’s a fast race to collect three of a kind, for two to six players ages 7 and up. Clear the drinks off the table first.

Written from scratch so kids and adults can play together, Cards Against Humanity: Family Edition has 600 cards about toilets, toilet demons and Mom’s friend Donna. It needs four or more players and is rated for ages 8 and up. It’s for the teen who likes being the funniest person at the table, even with his parents sitting there.

For a joke with staying power, the Prank Musical Card That Won’t Stop Clapping starts applauding when it comes out of the envelope and keeps going for about three hours, until the battery gives up or the card gets destroyed. The message can be personalized. Send it to the sibling who can take a joke.